


e l d o r a d o

by danveresque



Series: all the lives we/never lived [5]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:29:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 48,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22191091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danveresque/pseuds/danveresque
Summary: “Can’t believe it,” Robert said as they sat down at a small square table, both of them having given their orders at a little greasy spoon that was still quiet enough for a nice relaxed breakfast. Aaron frowned at him in question, taking off his jacket and sticking it on the seat next to him. “You were just gonna let me get on that bus without asking for my number.”Aaron scowled at the ketchup container before him, a plastic tomato that he felt the need to push to the side. “Didn’t see you asking for mine.”
Relationships: Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden, Adam Barton/Victoria Sugden, Robert Sugden & Victoria Sugden
Series: all the lives we/never lived [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1515110
Comments: 160
Kudos: 142





	1. Chapter 1

**C A I R O**

Robert’s mind was running around somewhere in the past. A childhood story turned into a song sung in his sister’s young voice. He thought he heard his brother yell, his mother laugh. The sun shone bright in his eyes, bouncing off a wing mirror, before the light seemed to turn to fire, and laughter turned to screams, and all he had left were ruins.

He awoke with a start, eyes snapping open.

Gauzy white drapes fluttered against the windows, the morning breeze gentle. He felt sluggish and sullen despite the fact that at the foot of his bed stood a beautiful woman. She gave him a tilted smile, her dark brown eyes filled with affection and humour. She was already dressed, suited and professional, her eyes roaming the expanse of his bare chest. Robert smiled at her, sitting up so the sheets slid a little further down.

She moved to sit on the edge of the bed, smiling at his flagrant display. “I should go. Faculty meeting.”

“Lucky student,” Robert said with a smile, tangling his fingers with hers.

“And you?” she asked. He shrugged, still feeling the heavy weight of recent defeat in his chest. She took his chin in her hand, leaning in to press a light kiss to his mouth. “Chrissie White’s loss will be someone else’s gain. I’m quite sure of it.”

Robert smiled at her, lamenting, “Sofia, you know your husband’s a moron, don’t you? If you were _my_ wife…”

“I would have done much more than just throw you out of my home if I found you with someone else,” Sofia said, her perfectly sculpted brow arching sharply in judgement with a bright grin.

Robert scowled. “It was a stupid mistake.”

“Like this?” Sofia asked, nodding towards the bed they had shared.

“This is different,” Robert said, shaking his head. “This is…”

“Getting back at your fiance…sorry, _ex_ -fiance, by bedding her competitor, yes,” Sofia said with an amused nod. Raising her eyebrows, she asked, “No?”

“No…” Robert answered after a few seconds of reflection. “This is...being with someone who knows what it’s like to work hard and have all their work tossed out with them,” Robert said. “Chrissie and I were partners. In every sense of the word. But she gets to keep the praise and profit. You know something about that, don’t you?”

“Yes, and my husband has been disgraced to my satisfaction. Thanks to your help,” Sofia answered.

Robert offered her a smile. “Oh, you’re welcome. Are you gonna hold up your end of the bargain then? Find out what the Whites wanted with Dr. Namuri?”

“I did. She says they have been making inquiries about an artifact. A Maharb-din key.”

“Which is…?” Robert asked.

“Usually...a combination of map and key, or instructions and ciphers,” Sofia said. “They are almost always incomplete having lost their parts. An intact one could indicate an untouched precious tomb somewhere.”

“Precious,” Robert echoed. “As in?”

“Places one would prefer to remain undisturbed,” Sofia said with a note of warning in her voice. “There is a saying about Maharb-din keys: they only open two doors, one to riches, and one to nightmares. You won’t know which door is which until you have passed the threshold.”

Robert grinned at her. “Sounds like superstitious nonsense to me.”

“Ah yes, but then this is the land of curses,” Sofia said with a grin. “Not that it has ever stopped grave robbers from their robbing.”

Robert smiled. “Ouch.”

“Stories aside,” Sofia said with a wry smile, “these keys are usually sought after because of the workmanship of their intricate parts, early mechanical devices being wondrous things. This one more so as it was found England, so perhaps a replica, or an example of early cultural exchange. Definitely worth closer inspection.”

“How the hell did they manage to find one of those?” Robert asked. Sofia looked a little reluctant to answer him. “What?”

“Chrissie’s former husband,” Sofia said. “He was the one to bring it to her attention.”

Fucking Donny, Robert thought. “Any idea how much it could be worth?”

Sofia shrugged. “Depends on whether its innards are intact, or if it even has any.”

“The Whites I know wouldn’t be interested in something that’s not worth a pretty penny,” Robert said with a nod. “Mind you, those lot wouldn’t offer asking price for a packet of crisps, let alone something of actual value. You said it was found in England.”

“It was found in Yorkshire to be exact,” Sofia said. “Other than that, I know the current owner of the item is based in…Emmer Dale?”

“What?” Robert blurted, staring at her. The Egyptian gods were cruel. And had a really weird sense of humour. “Please tell me you didn’t just say Emmerdale.”

Sofia shrugged. “You know this place?”

“Yeah, I know this place,” Robert said, sinking back against the pillows. “Remember the nightmare door you mentioned? Emmerdale’s pretty much what you would find behind that door.”

**T U N I S I A**

Sofia's information came with good timing. Robert was already on the way out of Cairo having caught wind of the news that Sofia’s husband was looking for him, and a piece of him to remove _from_ him.

It was from a villa in Tunisia that he planned his next step. Lounging poolside, he smiled as he looked at his laptop and the exchanges between Chrissie and her toolpiece ex Donny. Donny was forwarding his email discussion with some BBOY92, sharing with Chrissie the ongoing negotiation process, surprising Robert with his ability to use technology, or even words in a coherent sentence.

Donny had agreed with Chrissie to meet with BBOY19 for the pick up if and when it happened. Robert snorted. Typical Chrissie, never interested in the dirty work, not to mention utterly neglectful when it came to email passwords and the like.

Robert scrolled passed the niceties, concentrating on the nitty gritty, like the fact that Chrissie wanted the key. Which meant Robert wanted the key. Chrissie had offered through Donny a cursory amount of 5K. Robert laughed out loud at that. BBOY92 had LOLd too and suggested Donny talk to some mug who didn't know any better (which was funny because Donny happened to be exactly that kind of mug).

BBOY92 said: _This thing ain’t just a box. It’s a map, and I’ve been where it goes. I’ll even point you in the right direction. For the right price though. If you're interested, let me know. I have other buyers willing to pay more._

Chrissie _was_ interested. Of course she was, knowing what Robert knew. Any grave robber worth his or her due was going to want this, especially if this little trinket came with a treasure trail. BBOY92 was foolish, he could have bagged himself more, but he agreed on 20K, cash handed on delivery of item, _if_ the item lived up to satisfaction.

Robert grinned, all the way to his sun soaked toes and snapped the laptop shut. Good timing too as a bronzed arm appeared from behind him, a wide hand palming his chest. He tipped his face up towards Antonio who was beaming down at him with a bright white smile.

His somewhat older benefactor had done a good job of keeping himself looking young and trim, his dark hair speckled with the barest of grey. Robert received a kiss on his forehead before he was joined on the lounger.

"Greedy as this may seem," Antonio said, heartfelt, his hand wrapping around Robert's wrist, "are you sure you can't stay a while longer? I don't return to Italy for another week. Surely I can tempt you."

"I wish I could.” Robert pretended to be gutted about the situation, offering his most disappointed smile. "But I'm actually headed home next. Family stuff. I…I don't want to bore you with it."

Antonio scooched closer. There was affection in Antonio’s eyes, which sent just the smallest pang of guilt through Robert. His hand cupped Robert's cheek. "I have never known you to be boring."

Robert smiled, nodding, holding onto Antonio's hand, which made the Italian beam at him. "Look... I came here to be with you. Can we just forget about everything else for now?"

Antonio was _well_ into that idea, all but engulfing Robert in an embrace before kissing hard enough to push him down on the lounger, using the press of his wide shoulders and tapered torso. _Fucking hell_ , Robert thought, his swimming trunks becoming very tight very quickly. Robert lurched up for another kiss, but Antonio pressed a finger to his lips and smiled. Robert blinked up at Antonio with a frown.

"The scarab brooch," Antonio said with a seductive lilt. "I am yet to hear any mention of it."

Robert smiled, softly telling Antonio, "Said I’d get it for you, didn't I? The money in my account yet?"

Antonio shook his head, amused. His hand wandered down to cup Robert through his trunks, firm and possesive. "You don't trust me."

Robert rolled his hips up into Antonio's grasp, answering breathlessly, "Of course I do. As much as you trust me."

Antonio, a self-confessed man of honour, seemed satisfied with that answer, and descended for a fiercer kiss than before. He liked his bedfellows to know who was boss, maybe it made it easier when he went back to his wife. Pot calling the kettle black, Chrissie would have scoffed at Robert, not that what she thought was a problem any longer.

Antonio got up, grinning down at Robert. He angled his head towards the shade of the villa. “Come. I want to make the most of having you here.”

Antonio was true to his word about _having_ Robert here and a few other spots in the villa. Robert was fast beginning to think he needed a holiday from just all _this_. It didn’t help that on his last night in the villa he was awoken by a dream that left him panting, eyes stinging as if the room had been filled with smoke. He’d sat up shaking, almost jumping a mile when Antonio sat up next to him, curling his palm around the back of Robert’s neck.

He’d suddenly felt so alone and adrift, his heart whimpering for home. He didn’t even fight it when Antonio pulled him close into an embrace to calm him. He’d laid back down, hidden himself in the darkness, and then slipped out as soon as Antonio had fallen asleep.

It seemed like a good time to check if there had been any progress between BBOY92 and the Whites. He crept out to the spacious living room where he took up a spot at the dining table, bringing his laptop to life. BBOY92 had sent a series of photographs of his trinket. It looked like a metallic octagonal box that had lost all its shine, the metal dulled and the engravings barely visible.

“What did you take these pictures with?” Robert muttered, “A potato?”

All the same it seemed Chrissie had agreed on a date for the handover. Donny would be meeting BBOY92 in a public place to take the trinket and hand the cash, before dutifully running back to Chrissie like a lapdog and handing her the key. Getting one over Chrissie _and_ Donny, god...the idea of it might have actually been a bit of a turn on. Robert beamed, bad dreams forgotten.

“Sometimes, I think you work harder than even me,” Antonio said, emerging from the shadows. Robert shut the laptop and stood up, turning to meet Antonio with a smile.

“You know how it is. Can’t play hard if you don’t work hard,” Robert said with a smug smile.

Antonio grinned, reaching for Robert’s hand. “Come. You must sleep sometimes too.”

Robert didn’t fancy getting back into bed, or that room, even though it was crazy to think his nightmares were in there waiting to get their hooks into him again. He resisted Antonio’s pull, backing away, Antonio frowning at him in question.

Robert looked at the large windows through which the pool was lit up and glistening. Robert turned back to Antonio and grinned, slipping off the borrowed bathrobe and still backing away.

“Fancy a swim?”

Antonio definitely fancied something and followed Robert all the way out and into the pool.

**F R E N C H R I V I E R A**

Antonio had been good as his word. Robert was ten thousand up thanks to the brooch, and in France he had made another cool fifteen by flogging three pieces to a Russian oligarch who was most certainly using his meeting with Robert as an excuse for other nefarious business in the neighbourhood. Not that Robert gave a toss. He had his money, and it was paying for a fairly swish hotel with excellent views.

The Russian’s wife had been pretty too, just his type, a brunette with attitude, but not worth leaving France in a body-bag. Robert sighed, sitting on his balcony sipping Champagne and thinking of dangerous opportunities. Was it worth it, chasing a probably worthless little trinket just to be a thorn in Chrissie’s side?

Of course it was. Everyone needed a hobby after all. And Chrissie was just so infuriatingly full of herself.

She was _so...ugh._

Robert put the glass down, heart a little heavy. He missed her a little. The way he had loved her a little. There had been an undeniable spark between them, and maybe in another life it could have turned into something more than just a fleeting affair.

As it was, Robert was going to draw a line under things by robbing her…a little. The fact that her dimwit of an ex-husband would be involved and end up looking a complete tit was just a little bonus.

**L O N D O N**

Of course it was raining. The second he'd stepped off Eurostar it had been raining. And not proper rain. It was a bone-chilling misty rain that had his tan shivering right off him. No wonder Chrissie was happy with Donny checking things out. She was far too monied to put up with English winters.

With a sigh, Robert boarded his train to Leeds. Was there even a point in having a window seat since everything looked burdened by the weight of the damp weather and the cloudy grey sky?

Well, at least there was a bright side. He'd get to see his sister, the one person left in the world who was always pleased to see him. He looked at the photos on his phone, finding one she'd sent only a month ago, beaming from her desk in her new office. It made him smile to see her so happy. Maybe the trip was already paying off. It had been too long since he’d spent some quality time with Vic.

He tried not to dwell on that thought. Instead, he logged into his bank account and shifted Antonio's payment into another account. The money he'd made in Cairo and France was more than sufficient for the time being. Hopefully, BBOY92 would provide him with a good payday too. If Chrissie was prepared to promise 20K, then there was easily more than twice that amount to be made. She was conniving as she was beautiful.

He went back to the gallery on his phone. She was still there, both of them beaming at the camera together, as if they weren't just using each other until something better came along. Robert deleted the picture, and all the rest. After all, she had drawn a line through his presence in her life with much more ease. Didn't matter. Chrissie was the past now.

The future was BBOY92 and getting the key.

**L E E D S**

Robert arrived in sodden Leeds around 5pm. It was a far cry from the heat and sun of Cairo and Tunisia, and though the Riviera hadn't exactly been hot, it had an energy that lit a fire under the skin. It didn't matter. He was obsessing over meaningless things again. What he needed to do was work fast before Chrissie could cotton on to what he was up to. Donny was due to arrive in two days and meet BBOY92. Two days gave him more than enough time to throw a spanner in the works - Donny being the spanner.

At the hotel, he lay back on his bed and opened up his laptop. Everything was still on track; the time, the meeting place, the agreed payment. Ideally, Robert would walk away with both the key and the cash, but that seemed too much in the region of having his cake and eating it (though, nothing seemed to make more sense than having a cake with the intention of eating it).

He grabbed his phone, scrolling through the contacts until he found the one he needed. He put the phone on speaker and waited.

“Merrick Connolly. Long time no speak. Thought you were off chasing yummy mummies.”

Robert rolled his eyes. “I need you-”

“Bet you do.”

Robert held his breath, patient, and then found himself smiling. He started again. “I need you to do something for me.”

“Well, your wish is my command,” came the quiet reply. Robert could easily envision the arched brow and pursed mouth that accompanied those words.

“I need you to distract someone,” Robert said.

“I can be distracting.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t mean your usual brand of distracting. You even look funny at this bloke he’ll wring your neck.”

“Kinky,” Connor teased.

“Connor,” Robert said sternly. “I’m not mucking about here. He’s got an appointment and I need him to miss it. I’m sure you know someone who can keep him occupied.”

“And, for my trouble?” Connor asked.

“Half in your account now, and half after you’ve done the job,” Robert said.

Connor snorted. “Money’s not everything, Merrick.”

“Yeah, well, money’s all that’s on offer. Now, you going to be a good boy for me, or am I going to have to find someone else?” Robert asked.

The resentful silence gave Robert all the answer he needed.


	2. Chapter 2

**E M M E R D A L E**

Robert always thought that what he remembered of Emmerdale was either a fabrication or a memory of something that would have changed drastically over the years. He was wrong. It seemed pretty much the same, if possibly a little more high definition. He got a few passing glances as he made his way through the village, but they seemed to hold a different kind of interest other to that of his identity.

He visited the family graves. It seemed the right thing to do after so long. It offered no real closure or consolation though. The dead died, sailing off into the afterlife without looking back, everyone else left waving on the riverbank of life. Robert had seen enough graves to know that there was nothing here but dust and left without saying a word, grateful for the dark blanket of the evening sky.

The real destination was The Woolpack, the lively, by the sounds of it local pub. Inside, it was crowded with revellers. It looked like there was a big family do going on. Robert counted his blessings. If anyone did recognise him, they’d be too busy to bother noticing him. He looked around, eyeing the patrons, chattering away about stolen church roofs or something, probably.

Behind the bar was a little more interesting, and Robert played it cool as he observed the barman. He had black hair with grey sprouting and a coal-eyed stare. He was busy handing a pint each to two blokes, one older with a white beard, and the other skinnier with fixed scowl. There was a blonde behind the bar too with wavy blonde hair and big gap-toothed smile.

 _Dingles_ , Robert thought. Zak and Sam, he remembered clearly. The black-haired bloke behind the bar, Robert didn’t know his name, but definitely saw he had a decent haircut now. So did the grinning blonde pulling pints with him. But they were all _definitely_ Dingles, with that shifty Dingle look. Looked like the pub was a family affair now too.

Looked like Robert would have to be extra careful.

Especially since the face he was looking for was talking to the bloke behind the bar. BBOY92 a.k.a Adam Barton, was just as bushy-bearded as the profile picture on his Facebook. He picked up a few drinks and went back to having a lively conversation with a bunch of beardos, animated and loud.

Robert went to the bar to get himself a pint, hoping the intense bloke behind the bar wouldn’t serve him. However, it was that exact mard who threateningly sauntered in Robert’s direction. Even before trying, Robert knew his bright smile wasn’t the type of thing to win this Dingle over.

“Pint please, mate,” Robert said, getting out his money, all business, no mouth.

The barman nodded and began to pull a pint, giving Robert a heavy-browed look half-way through. Pushing the pint towards Robert and taking the money, he said, “Ain’t seen you about before. Passing through?”

“Something like that,” Robert said, putting his mouth on the rim of his glass and taking a sip with a weary sounding sigh as his mind raced to fabricate reasons to be in Emmerdale other than nefarious.

“Right,” the barman said. He walked off the till in absolutely no hurry, ringing up the amount and taking even longer to get the change, before sauntering back. “Business or pleasure.”

“Bit of both,” Robert said with a nod. He was opening his mouth, waiting to hear what lie was going to come out when someone else aided him by butting in.

“Another one down from Home Farm, eh? Oh, it’s been busy it has.” The barman gave the woman a flinty look, which seemed to go right over her fluffy head. She just carried right on. “Oh, didn’t you know, Cain? It’s an open day or something.”

“No. I did not,” _Cain_ said. “Thanks for that, Diane.”

Robert grinned at her, pointing at the purse in her head. “Buy you a drink, Diane?”

“Oh. Thank you,” she said, looking pleased. She looked at Cain and said, “I think I know who _I_ want buying the place.”

“White wine is it?” Cain asked flatly, receiving an offended look from her.

Cain handed Robert what was left of his change minus Diane’s wine, which she took with a big smile, raising the glass at him as she left to join some grumpy old sod at a table in the corner.

“She seems nice,” Robert said to Cain.

Cain stared at him as if Robert had committed some cardinal sin by attempting small talk, before slowly turning and heading towards a busty woman who was leaning against the bar and smiling at him in a way that suggested Cain’s attention was possibly focused on better things for the time being.

The pub was busy, bodies bumping into each other as people came and went. Adam was point at his friends, at their almost downed glasses. In the corner, a rowdy bunch of hens were getting up and making their move. Robert tipped back his glass and finished his pint, making a beeline for the gents. Adam turned and walked right into him just as the hens made their way out, doing a good job of obscuring the view around them, and letting Robert jostle Adam into dropping his phone.

He helped to retrieve the phone, of course, and just as easily relieved the item nestled in Adam’s jacket pocket.

“Oh ta, mate,” Adam said, taking the phone, patting Robert on the arm.

“No problem,” Robert said, continuing onto the loos where he securely hid the small package before returning to the bar for another pint, this time taking his jacket off when he sat down.

Ten minutes later, Adam seemed to be flitting about the pub, eyes frantically searching for someone. Robert pretended to look at his phone. When he looked up, Adam was standing there, eyeing Robert’s jacket, and then offering Robert a smile that wouldn’t have fooled an idiot.

“You alright mate?” Adam asked. “Not seen you around here before.”

“Home Farm,” Robert said. “They were having an open day. Not that it’s any of your business.”

Adam held up his hands. “Meant nothing by it mate. Here, let me buy you a drink, yeah? For saving my phone from getting trampled earlier.”

Robert frowned at him, and then made an evident show of looking him and down before smiling and telling him, “You can buy me as many drinks as you like. _Mate_.”

Adam frowned and then broke into a grin, patting his own chest as he said, “Ah, nah, mate. I’m strictly playing for the other team. _But_ , see that bloke over there, scowling at his beer? I don’t think he’d mind a little company. Come on, I’ll even introduce ya.”

Robert let out a laugh, shaking his head, and got up. He walked out from behind the table and then made to go back for his jacket, but Adam stopped him. “Don’t worry, I’ll grab that for you.”

And he did, no doubt giving it a discreet groping. Robert walked on ahead, playing oblivious as he was being pulled along to the table of the scowling party who looked up with a startled owlish expression. He was what Robert thought might be categorised as on the cute end of the spectrum, and not really what he was after in a man, or a woman for that matter.

“Finn?” Adam said, clapping a hand on Robert’s shoulder, and gesturing to his face with his free hand.

“Rick,” Robert said, deciding no one needed to know Merrick Connolly, collector and seller of strange antiquities had been in their midst. He might as well have worn a sign that said, _on the rob._

“Rick,” Adam parroted. “Why don’t you boys get acquainted, eh?”

“Uh thanks,” Robert said, before pretending to remember, “oh, my jacket.”

Adam handed him the jacket, looking frustrated and moving on, but first grabbing some woman’s arm before she could head towards Finn. The pink coat on the back of the seat next to Robert’s made a little more sense now.

Finn meanwhile managed to find another level of looking startled, blinking at Robert with his mouth pursed around the silent start of a brewing question. Robert grinned, motioning to an unoccupied seat near Finn. “You mind?”

“Um, no. No, go for it,” Finn said with a little shake of the head. Of course he couldn’t believe someone like Robert was talking to him – Robert knew how he looked. He grinned at Finn who smiled – damn – smiled sweetly. This would be have to be quick, Robert thought, before the poor lad shifted from scowling at his beer to drowning in it. “So…um…what-“

“Your friend brought me over because I, um, I hit on him, and he said he wasn’t into lads, but that you are. He thought we should get to know each other.”

Finn opened his mouth, said nothing, and gave a single heavy nod before finally commenting, “Right. And…what do you think?”

“I think…it’s getting late,” Robert said, aiming what he thought might be a kind smile, though his face’s default setting probably made sure that he came across as a prick.

Finn’s lips clamped together tightly. He nodded and said, “You could have just told Adam no.”

“Oh, well, yeah, that seemed a little rude,” Robert said. After all he couldn’t be rude to the guy from whom he’d most certainly stolen a rare and expensive bit of historical tat.

“Yeah. Well… bye then,” Finn said with a roll of his eyes. Robert got up, opened his mouth to issue some form of apology, and then thought better of it, backing away from the table.

“He giving you a hard time?” The question came from directly behind Robert, and it carried such a high threat level the words might as well have been changed to, “Would you like me to kill this bastard?”

Finn opened his mouth to speak but Robert turned around to face the man behind him, hands held up high in surrender. The man he was looking at bore a small resemblance to Finn, obscured slightly by his stubble and hairstyle, and a little by Finn’s glasses. Brother? Cousin? Didn’t matter. He looked like trouble and what Robert didn’t need was trouble.

“I was offering to buy him a drink, he’s not interested, so I’m leaving.”

“That right?” Finn was asked, a puffed up chest moving just a little closer to Robert.

“Ross, leave it,” Finn said sulkily. “Adam was just trying to play matchmaker and managed to fail spectacularly.”

 _Ross_ backed off a little, hands going to his hips and eyes narrowing at Robert. He jerked his head to somewhere away from the table. “Well, get lost then.”

Robert gave Finn a little nod and did indeed get lost, Ross noisily taking up a seat at Finn’s table whilst lamenting, “Men, eh?” receiving a snappy, “Shut up.”

After that it was visit to the toilets where he pocketed his find, and then an even quicker exit from the pub and bus ride to the Hotten B&B, his laying low spot for the next few days.

There he was finally able to examine the trinket he’d taken.

Once upon a time, the tin and bronze of the box would have shone and the engravings that ran around the side would have looked beautiful, small figures side by side.

It would fetch a pretty penny, he thought. All he had to do was go through the right person.

**H O T T E N**

“Yeah, what’s up,” Robert said, phone pressed to ear, walking up the lane towards the Hotten Museum, Library & Archives.

It had been two days since he acquired the box, making notes, taking pictures. Now that he had a ballpark figure for what he thought he could get, he was going to try his first spot to flog his find, dropping in on his sister at the same time.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Connor all but purred over the phone. “You’ll never guess what I have in my pockets?”

“I transferred your payment into your account last night. We don’t have anything to talk about,” Robert said, stopping outside the entrance of the building.

“Well, I thought you might like to know that my friend was not only able to distract your broody Scotsman from his appointment, but also from a big wad of cash he was carrying on him,” Connor said. “Coincidentally, I’m richer to the tune of about twenty grand.”

Robert’s mouth fell open. “You stole his money? You idiot! You have any idea how dangerous this bloke is?”

“Yeah, well, he’s gone now, so it’s not a problem, is it?” Connor said, sounding pleased with himself. “Besides, I got someone else to do the distracting while I raided his room. Bit of a ladies man is our Donny.”

Robert laughed, shaking his head. “I hope for your sake he doesn’t put two and two together. He’s not one to let twenty grand just slip through his fingers.”

“He’d have to find me first, wouldn’t he?” Connor said. A quiet and smug pause followed. Robert rolled his eyes, hearing Connor sigh. “You on the other hand, you I’d just tell. We could spend the money together.”

“Tempting as the offer is, I’m flying out soon,” Robert said. “And if you have any sense, you’d go on a long holiday too.”

“Where are you off to?” Connor said. “Maybe I could...come.”

Robert pulled the phone away from his hand and just stared at it for a second. Bringing it back he said, “Italy. And no you can’t. I’m going to hang up now.”

“Well, do call me if you need me,” Connor said, before adding wryly, “Kiss kiss.”

Robert brought his phone back down, blinking at the screen. “Idiot.”

Tucking his phone inside his jacket he jogged up the stone steps and through the ancient revolving doors made of a heavy wooden frame and tinted green glass. The building was in severe need of an update, a 1940s construct with dark wood, yellow lighting, green carpeting running up stairs, and black and grey tiling on the very first floor.

Robert had only used the single lift in the building once due to the fact that in order to step inside one first had to open a door and pull back a heavy metal barrier. Descent usually came with a loud clanking and grinding sound that made people’s lives flash before their eyes. Robert naturally took the two flights of stairs to the library.

He arrived outside just in time to see his sister climb a ladder to place a book on a top shelf only to drop the book onto the stone floor and watch it smash out of its binding. Robert grimaced at the broken book as Vic stared from the top of the ladder before quickly scuttling down. She hadn’t seen him, completely absorbed in the task at hand. Robert angled his head at the book, wondering how much exactly the local history of Hotten was worth to a rare books seller.

Whilst Vic gathered up the mess that used to be a book, Robert quietly positioned himself in the corridor where a replica suit of amour stood at attention near the large oak doors under a bronze rectangle with the engraving **L I B R A R Y**.

Vic stepped out of the library about five minutes later, the tome in her embrace where it looked in danger of slipping again. Wisps of dark brown hair had escaped from a complicated braid at the back of her head and she made a lame attempt at blowing one away from the corner of her mouth. There was a smudge of reddish dust on the sleeve of her black dress which suggested that perhaps the book was long overdue a makeover.

Vic was hurrying away from the library when Robert stuck out the arm of the armor right in her face, causing her to let out a scream and drop the book for a second time. She was staring at him with her mouth hanging open as he laughed so hard he had to lean against the wall.

“Your face,” Robert said.

“You absolute-“

“Oi, play nice,” Robert said with a huge smile. “Thought you’d be glad to see me.”

“Glad? Look what you made me do. You have any idea how rare this is? This place is already one paperclip away from being sold off as a flipping country destination hotel or something.” Vic looked at the book, her face falling. “I was gonna buy new mouse traps for the basement, now I'll have to spend it on rebinding this bloody thing.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just that, this book looks like it might not be the first time it’s had a bit of a fall today.” Vic narrowed her eyes at him. Robert gave her dismayed look and told her, “Telling porkies, Victoria? That’s not befitting of a lady in your profession, is it?”

“Oh, shut up,” Vic said, scowling as she gathered up the remnants of what once was a book. Robert crouched down and helped her, taking the wrecked book and holding it out, before he smiled and said, “So...did you miss me?”

She pulled a face at him, not coming across at all as annoyed as she probably intended.

**~**

Robert made himself comfortable in Vic’s office, which was a small room rammed with books and other assortment of objects that clearly had no business being there. He sat down on a chair that though befitting of its environs looked about as sturdy as a jam sandwich.

“So,” Vic said, bringing her computer to life with a tap of the keyboard. “I thought Egypt was brilliant. What happened? Got rumbled did we?”

“No, we did not,” Robert said with a glare. “It got boring.”

Vic typed in her password excruciatingly slow, making Robert sigh both at choice of password and speed of typing. Screen unlocked, she turned to aim a sweet smile at him, giving him a nod. “You’ve run out of money.”

“Or? Have I run out of adventure?” Robert asked. She blinked at him. “The money’s still there. The access though, that might be a bit of a problem. But, not for long. Here. This should be worth something. Another addition for your esteemed collection perhaps?”

Robert pulled out his occasional paperweight of the last two days and handed it to Vic. Vic was turning it over in her hand, looking at it with much more care than Robert had. She picked up a small magnifying glass from her desk, peering through it with a slight frown, muttering to herself.

Robert looked at the object, frowning too. “What?”

“Where did you find this?” Vic asked, looking up, her magnifying glass coming with her so she ended up peering at him through it. Her one strangely magnified eye was enough to creep Robert out into pushing her hand down.

“Some bloke shifting a box of old tat,” Robert said with a shrug. Vic arched her brow at Robert. “He deals with junk thrown out of the homes of old dead people. That better?”

“This is _really_ old,” Vic said, as if it was the first really old thing he’d brought to her door.

She turned it over in her hands, weighing it in her palm, touching metal, fingers smoothing over worn away engravings. She was frowning at the top of the box where there used to be a pattern, triangular segments, each alternating segment having oxidised with time.

“Yeah, alright, you can stop fondling it now,” Robert said, reaching for the box. Vic being exactly five years old held on. “Yeah, alright, that’s enough!”

As they struggled, between their shared grasp something clicked and the lid opened up into several pieces, sharp metal teeth that made the box in their hands look like a small crown.

Vic’s eyes were wide as saucers as she stared at the inside of it where a browned parchment sat folded up small. She extracted it slowly, opening it up and staring. Robert stared too, eyeing a crest in the corner, a symbol that used to be decorated in gold pointing out true north, black inky scrawls that indicated forest, hills and ground, and water. And at the end of a long black trail, an inky black figure that seemed to stare at Robert.

“It’s a map,” Vic murmured, fingers hovering over rubricated words.

“How did you do that? I tried to pry that thing open and I was sure it had no moving parts,” Robert said, picking up the box and examining it, finding no obvious parts inside but for the tiny teeth of hinges that seemed too delicate to be possible.

Vic shook her head. “I don’t know. I think when we both pressed down it-”

“Do you know what this means?” Robert asked excitedly. Vic shook her head. “It means the price of this thing just doubled. _Yes._ ”

Vic was staring at the parchment, shaking her head. “Rob, I think this might be even more valuable than you realise.”

“Medieval map, completely intact inside a working puzzle box?” Robert said. “I think I realise more than you think I realise.”

Vic scowled at him. “Look at it. That looks Brittonic, or...something close, what little there is. And, look this right here.”

Robert looked at Vic’s finger pointing to where the trail and the words arched over the black inky figure. Robert’s Old Welsh wasn’t as good as Vic’s, but even so...

“Dwelling of peace,” Robert murmured. “Fortune of Camulod. Guard of Myddin Wyllt…wait…”

“Robert,” Vic said, looking as though she might explode with glee. She grinned and moved her finger along the words as she said, “The resting place, of _Camelot’s_ great treasure, under the guard of...Merlin. Under guard of _Merlin_. Robert. You have any idea what this means? This could be a map to-”

“Treasure,” Robert said grabbing the map and peering at those few letters that still held onto their decorative flecks of gold. He grinned. “Actual flipping _treasure_.”


	3. Chapter 3

Paddy Kirk, head of services at the _prestigious_ Hotten Museum, Library and Archive, laughed for several minutes, shaking his head and muttering incomprehensibly after seeing the map, whilst Vic and Robert looked on.

“What is so funny?” Vic asked.

Paddy put his glasses back on and took a deep breath before saying, “It’s got the feel of a school project if you ask me. I mean, you’re not suggesting this is an _actual_ map to the _actual_ Camelot, are ya? There's a new book that's just come out on how not real Camelot is. It’s called _The Myth of_ _Camelot_. Emphasis… _myth_. Camelot wasn’t even a big thing until the flipping French got involved.”

“I’m not saying it’s Camelot,” Vic said, somehow staying calm. “It could be something that _someone_ thought was related to...”

“Camelot?” Paddy asked. Vic’s mouth turned down unhappily. Paddy made a show of taking a long patient breath. “Miss Connolly. Your job is in the library, and it’s to look after the main collection. I do think you’re getting ahead of yourself here.”

“Am I though?”

Paddy didn’t wait for her point, answering with an emphatic nod. “ _Yes_.”

“This map is linked to local history. It might not lead to Camelot, but someone thought it did. Which means there’s something interesting at the end of this trail.”

“With a big hoard of treasure, right?” Robert said, receiving a sharp elbow in the stomach from Vic.

Paddy aimed an unimpressed look at Robert. “You know, I do wish you’d stop coming here with your latest finds. We’re not a jumble sale. This is an _actual_ museum.”

Robert pointed at Paddy. “That Viking helmet I found made the local newspaper.”

“A ladder going missing makes the newspapers around here, I wouldn’t get too excited,” Paddy said, narrowing his eyes at Robert.

“Whatever,” Robert said. “Why don’t you just give that back? I’m sure Vic and I can find someone else who’s willing to-”

“Waste time in a lab to tell you this is some theatrical Victorian tat? Or fund a winter escape for you so you can dig up a sixpence in Cumbria? Not likely,” Paddy said, lifting the map from his desk.

Robert had only taken a single step forward when Paddy made a strange noise of surprise. Robert heard something fall hard on Paddy's desk, only to realise it was a mug of coffee or tea all over the map now. Paddy was not so much mopping up the tea as he was helping the ink to run and then helping the delicate paper to break apart into meaningless mush. Vic and Robert stood by the desk, staring at the useless remains, Vic picking up an intact corner of the map.

“I. Am so sorry,” Paddy said. “I'd forgotten that was there. Always doing that.”

“You idiot!” Robert shouted. “I can’t believe you did that!”

“Robert,” Vic said, putting a hand on his arm to calm him.

Robert looked at her. “He did that on purpose.”

“Oh, come on now, why would I do it on purpose?” Paddy asked looking like butter wouldn’t melt in his lying mouth before sitting back down behind his mammoth desk, sweeping with the flat of his hand the mess of coffee and map into a bin he brought up from under his desk.

Vic was watching him with her mouth hanging open.

“Right, if that’s all then," Paddy said. "Only, I’ve got a high up visitor coming round and I’m hoping we can get a bit of money out of him. We’ll name a collection or something. We’ll need somewhere for it to go though. Victoria, how’d you feel about sharing office space with Sue in Events?”

“ _Events_? Right. That is it,” Vic said, wagging her finger in Paddy’s face. “You _did_ do that on purpose! I can’t believe you. Imagine if we'd found something thanks to that map. This place would well and truly be...on the map.”

“We’re doing all right,” Paddy said, offended.

“We had one visitor yesterday!” Vic said. “And it was the new archivist’s girlfriend!”

“She’s a lovely lady, what’s your problem?” Paddy asked far too calmly.

“Come on, Robert,” Vic said, stomping away from Paddy’s desk and into the hallway, slamming the door behind them. She stood there hands on her hips, breathing hard and thinking hard by the looks of it. She eyed Robert. “Did you really not know the map was in the box?”

Robert snorted. “If I did, I would have said _map_ before _hello_.”

“You’re right. Okay, we need to sit down, put down on paper everything we remember from that map.” Robert looked at her, his mind on a pub in a village close by. Vic frowned. “What?”

“There might be another option,” Robert said. “Someone who might have actually used the map.”

**E M M E R D A L E**

Twenty-four hours later Vic stopped her car in Emmerdale, braking so hard Robert would have broken his nose on the windscreen if he hadn’t put his seat-belt on.

“I can’t believe you stole it,” Vic said, shaking her head. “I can’t believe you _lied_.”

“It’s what I do,” Robert said, throwing up his hands.

“I’m your sister!” Vic said.

Robert shrugged, throwing up his hands and earning a cut-eyed look from Vic. Sighing, he looked out of the window, spotting the graveyard and then glanced back at Vic. She looked upset, and probably not about his lying ways. “Do you visit much?”

She shrugged. “When I moved from Leeds to Hotten, I visited then. Few times since. Always worried someone’s going to know who I am and start talking about the family. Don’t need all that. What about you?”

“Well, I was here the other night, wasn’t I? Saw them for the first time since Annie took us away from here.”

Vic was staring at him, the moon shining bright in her wide eyes. “Rob...”

“There’s nothing here for us, Vic,” Robert said. “Just bad memories.”

“Then what we doing here?” Vic asked.

“Well, I’m looking for treasure, and you’re looking for a puzzle to solve,” he said. “It’s just a coincidence that we’ve been dragged back here to do it.”

“Some might call that fate,” Vic said with a small smile.

“Yeah,” Robert said with a nod, frowning at her. “Some might. ‘Course, I’d say they’re idiots.”

Vic gave him a light punch on the arm, and as ever he pretended she’d hit him harder than she had. She nodded towards the graveyard, looking a little reluctant as she asked, “Do you want to-?”

“No,” Robert said, shaking his head, and then corrected himself, asking, “I mean, unless you want to. We could both-”

“No, it’s fine,” Vic said. “It’s...it’s not the right time. Besides, there’s someone in there.”

Robert saw the partially hidden figure making his way in, flowers in hand. Nodding, he said, “In that case. Let’s go talk to Adam Barton.”

**~**

Adam was to be found in the Woolpack where it seemed a brawl had just broken out. Vic and Robert stood at a safe distance from where Robert’s face couldn’t get damaged, watching the flight of fists and blur of beards. Robert spotted the man he was looking for in the middle of the fray.

“There he is. The bloke I...uh...borrowed the map box from.”

“Oh, borrowed now, is it?” Vic gave Robert a dirty look and started to move in the direction of the chaos.

“Whoa! Where are you going?”

“To talk to him. You coming?” Vic asked.

“You’re joking, aren’t ya?” Vic rolled her eyes and proceeded. Robert drifted off to the bar where other bystanders were looking on at the scuffle. Robert nodded at bored looking man and said, “What’s all this then?”

The man sighed and said, “Who knows. Someone’s gone and slept with someone and now they’re all hitting each other. I should bring my wife down here and show her how lucky she is.”

Robert peered at the balding bloke, offering up, “I’m sure she already knows.”

“If she does, she hides it well does my Nico,” said the bloke propping up the bar, downing the rest of his pint.

Robert directed his attention to the now dying down argument, idiots sitting back down, that busty woman Robert had seen the other day shouting at them, Vic talking at Adam and him staring at her like he'd never seen a woman in his life. Robert grimaced as if he'd just eaten a turd biscuit.

The blokes at the table were getting loud again, and Adam snapped in their direction, "Oi! Shut it, will ya? I'm trying to talk here."

Not waiting for a response, he guided Vic away, bringing her to the opposite side of the pub where Robert stood right at the end of the bar, as close as possible to the exit.

“Don’t I know you?” Adam said, frowning at Robert.

“Me? Nah. I’ve just got one of those faces,” Robert said.

“Yeah yeah. I know you. You are definitely the bloke who stole my little box. The way you covered it up though, nice one, mate,” Adam said with a smile before giving Robert a needlessly hard clap on the shoulder. He pointed at Robert and said, “Did me a favour. That thing’s been nothing but trouble.”

“You’re telling me,” Robert muttered.

"Look," Vic said, immediately stealing Adam's attention. “Um, the box he took off ya. Well, looks like you know there’s a bit more to it than meets the eye.”

“You mean the map,” Adam said. Vic looked sheepish for trying to keep the map out of the question, and Adam aimed an accusatory look in Robert's direction before turning back to Vic. “That box? It’s not worth the hassle. Just leave it be, yeah? There’s stuff going on you don’t want to mess around with.”

“You’ve been there, haven’t you? You followed that map,” Vic said quietly.

Adam was staring at Vic, a small frown appearing. He let out a little laugh. “Why? You gonna go up there, do some ghostbusting or summat?”

Vic shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Are you joking me right now?” Adam asked quietly. “I told ya. It’s not worth it.”

“Or I could find something amazing,” Vic said.

Adam was quiet for a moment, before he frowned and muttered, “Well, I’m beginning to think sometimes you can find something amazing without going anywhere at all.”

“Seriously?” Robert said, grimacing. “Look, you gonna help us or not. I’m not standing around here wasting my time. We don’t need you. We both remember enough of the map to-”

“Ohhh,” Adam said with a laugh. “You’ve only gone and lost the map, eh? Nevermind, mate. Maybe you can go look for the Loch Ness Monster instead.”

Robert glared at Adam, turning to Vic. “Come on, Vic, we’re wasting our time here.”

Vic looked looked crestfallen, mouth turned down with disappointment as she allowed Robert to guide her away from the bar, and the brawl that appeared to continue on further back. Robert almost smiled when Adam ran around them to block the doorway, looking only at Vic.

“Look…Vic, yeah? Why don’t you stay for a drink? We could just-”

“We could just what?” Vic asked. “Find out more about each other? I think I know all I want to know, Adam Barton.”

This time it was Adam who looked disappointed as Vic walked on. Robert gave Adam a look, shaking his head. He took a step to follow Vic, but Adam’s hand stopped him, giving him a little shove backwards. “Don’t you owe me something?”

Robert shrugged. “Sorry, mate. Lost it.”

“Yeah? I had a buyer lined up for that. You lost me some serious money,” Adam said.

“Thought it wasn’t worth the hassle,” Robert said with a smile.

Adam grinned at him. In Robert’s experience such responses were usually followed by something unpleasant, but Adam snorted and shoved past Robert, making his way out of the pub. Robert leaned against the bar with a sigh. He’d give Vic ten minutes to convince Adam he was their only hope, and in the meantime, a pint would go down great.

Hopefully, by the time he would leave the pub, either Adam would be a willing participant in their escapade, or he’d be lying on the ground after a hard kick in the balls. Unfortunately for Robert, some moron clad in black from head to toe slammed into him as he passed by, effectively spilling half the pint in Robert’s hand. Robert jumped back from dripping glass.

“Oh, mate. Sorry I… let me get you some tissue.”

Robert scowled, shaking his head and setting the glass on the bar. The last thing he wanted was to stay a second longer in this stupid pub. “Nah, you’re all right.”

Robert pinched the front of his shirt to pull it away from his skin, pulling at it a few times to air out the damp. The ruiner of the shirt said, “Well, let me get you a new pint, yeah?”

“I was just leaving,” Robert said curtly.

“Okay, fine, a new shirt,” came the response with a light laugh.

Robert looked up to find eyes almost as blue as his shirt. His brain stuttered to a comfortable and quiet stop for a moment, looking at the man before him, his hair in a fade on the sides, and parted on the left, gelled on top. He had stubble peppering his face, just the right amount to not interfere with the small smile he was wearing. Robert let out a small huff of a laugh at the offer of a new shirt. The man before him did a strange thing with his face, looking up at Robert with something that should have been a grimace but was just too…inviting.

“Seriously. Sorry. There’s probably better ways to buy someone a drink than knocking the one they already have out of their hand.”

Robert nodded. Where was this guy when Robert had been at a loose end? “Look, uh…”

“Aaron.” Robert stopped in his tracks for a second, nodding at the softly spoken introduction. Aaron took a deep breath, pointing at himself. “That’s my name. Aaron.”

Robert opened his mouth to offer up his name and then scowled at himself, before shaking his head. “Look, don’t worry about the drink. I have to go. Nice meeting you.”

Robert walked past Aaron, brushing against him in the process and catching a look that seemed a mixture of affront and hurt. Robert felt an uncomfortable twist of something that might have been guilt, disappointment perhaps. Whatever it was, it was inconvenient and he kept moving. He had treasure on his mind and nothing was going to get in the way of that.

**~**

When he caught up with Vic and Adam, they were in quiet conversation near Vic's car, standing offensively close to each other. It made Robert want to ram his foot up Adam’s backside. Unfortunately, if anything was going to bring Adam on board, it seemed as though Vic was it. Robert just hoped that Vic wasn’t going to fall for Adam’s stupid boyish charm.

“Look, I’ll...I’ll come with you,” Adam said with a sigh, Vic looking up at him, confused. Robert tried not to snort. He wasn’t one to fall for the soft lad routine. Vic on the other hand…

“Why?” Vic asked.

“Well…I kind of have a stake in this, don’t I?” Adam said with a smile and shrug. “Plus, better company this time around. Even if that does mean that smug prat brother of yours is included.”

“Don’t,” Vic reprimanded. “You don’t know Robert. He’s a good person. On the inside. Like... _deep_ on the inside.”

“Yeah? He told me his name was Rick,” Adam said.

Vic looked the shiftiest a person could look as she said, “That’s his nickname.”

“Right,” Adam said slowly. Robert hated that he could _hear_ the fond smile on Adam’s face without seeing it.

“So...um. You’re gonna come with us then, are ya?” Vic asked Adam.

“Yeah. I reckon I need to see it the whole way through too,” Adam said. He brought out his phone, tapping the screen and scrolling, tapping, scrolling. “If we start off early morning we can be there by nightfall, but I think it would be better if we get there, bed down for the night, and then go to the site in the morning. We can drive up if you want, but it might be better to take a train out of Hotten to Lansdale. Hire a car from there…and then we go to Camdeighl.”

“Camdeighl,” Robert murmured where he stood still in the shadows of the pub.

“Camdeighl,” Vic said. “How do you know it's Camdeighl?”

“The old bloke who owned the box, he’d figured it out. Made his own map, which I have up here,” Adam said, tapping his temple. “He made the connection between Camdeighl and what was on your map.”

“My map?” Vic asked softly.

“Well...it’s beginning to look like there was a reason I found it,” Adam said. Robert rolled his eyes. “Maybe it was meant to get to you.”

Vic grinned, shaking her head. “You know, when I was little, my mum used to tell us that _her_ mum told her that Arthur was a Yorkshire lad.”

Adam laughed. “Yeah, well, everyone thinks Camelot was in their neck of the woods, don’t they? There's been stories about Camdeighl for years and all.”

“What do you think?” Vic asked. “I mean, you went there.”

Adam shrugged. “I can’t tell you Camelot’s up there, but...something is. And...I wish you wouldn’t go. I really do.”

Vic smiled, pulling her phone from her pocket, unlocking it and handing it to Adam. “Put your number in there.”

Adam sighed, putting in his number all the same. “Right. Well, give me a call when you’re ready I suppose.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow morning,” Vic said with a nod.

“Vic…” Adam started.

“And here,” she said, tapping away at her phone screen. A moment later there was a small ring of a sound from Adam phone. “...is my number. If you need it.”

Adam looked at the screen of his phone with a smile. He nodded and said, “You got far to go then?”

“Hotten,” Vic said.

Adam shoved his hands into his pockets, straightening up. “Right. Better let you get on.”

Vic nodded at him. “I’ll text ya.”

“You do that,” Adam said, taking a few slow steps away from her, calling over his shoulder. “You can stop eavesdropping mate. I’m leaving.”

Robert rolled his eyes, heading towards Vic as he zipped up his jacket, watching her standing there looking at Adam as if he was going off to war. “Fall for your feminine wiles, did he?”

Vic gave Robert a dirty look. “It’s nothing like that. He just happens to be a decent bloke.”

“Heart-warming,” Robert said. Vic gave him a narrow-eyed look. “What?”

“You tell me, _Rick_ ,” Vic said. “You’re not still going around calling yourself Merrick J Connolly are ya?”

“What’s the big deal? You’ve not called yourself Sugden since university,” Robert said.

“Because I live in Hotten, and it’s a small world, and I just know I’ll bump into someone who says ‘you didn’t know Jack and Sarah Sugden, did ya?’ because apparently dad was some type of farming celebrity who married an uppity librarian people still remember.”

Robert stared at Vic as she finished her small rant. Shrugging, he said, “I just thought Connolly sounds better. And then I didn’t want to leave dead mum number one out, and then I figured I may as well wedge dead dad in there too.”

Vic shook her head. “Some people call it a dark sense of humour, I just call it being an idiot.”

“Whatever you say, Miss Connolly. Any idea what we’re doing now?”

“Robert. Didn’t you hear? _Camdeighl_ ,” Vic said.

“Yeah. I did. Some bloke we don’t know who’s drooling after you said something we can’t we be sure of,” Robert said. “We need to check his story out, maybe find out more about the old codger that map box actually belonged to. There were stories about Camdeighl when we were growing up. If something was there, it would have been found by now.”

“Or...we go back to mine, get some things together and check for ourselves,” Vic said with a nod, already headed in the direction of her car. “I’ve still got some stuff lying around from the last time you stayed with me, so you can have a look through those bin bags for something warm to wear. Weather's looking awful for tomorrow.”

“Bin bags? Do you have any idea how much some of that stuff cost? ”Robert asked.

“No, but I know how much space it all takes up in my little flat,” Vic said. “We get our gear together tonight, right? I text Adam that we’re ready to go tomorrow. No time to lose.”

“Vic,” Robert said, hating that he was about to be the voice of reason.

Vic stopped him. “You saw the box. You saw the map. They’re not just knock-offs, Robert. Maybe they don’t go to Camelot, but they go somewhere. Somewhere we could find undiscovered things. That could make us rich and famous. _Rich._ ”

“Right,” Robert said quietly assessing that reasoning. “And if there's nothing up there, we can always bury Barton for someone else to dig up years from now.”

"Will you behave?" Vic said as they reached Vic’s car, the lights flashing once as she unlocked it. Robert opened the door to the passenger side, looking across the top of the car at Vic.

“Just one thing.”

“What?” she asked.

“The box the map came in,” Robert said. “You know, on its own it’s still worth a lot of money.”

“Yup, I know,” Vic said.

“So where is it?” Robert asked.

“Safe.” She looked up at him and smiled. Robert’s gaze flicked to the car, his mind sifting through recent memories for the last glimpse. Vic snorted. “You really think I’d be keeping it on me? It’s back at the museum. Good luck if you think you can go and find it before morning.”

“I really hope you’re not going to let that annoying little conscience of yours to rob me of my pay day,” Robert said.

“Excuse me, but you _stole_ that off Adam, and I promised him I’d give it back once we're done with all this,” Vic said.

Robert shook his head, stepping back and shutting the car door. “I can’t believe this. You’ve known him all of five minutes. How do you even know you can trust him?”

“Well, I’ve known you my whole life, so I can pretty much see a con a mile away,” Vic said.

Robert stared at her. The remark stung, surprising him. He nodded, moving away from the car. “Thanks.”

“Robert. Robert, don’t,” Vic called out, running around the car. “Where you going? All your stuff’s at mine. _Robert!”_

She grabbed him by his arm and stopped him. Robert looked down at her, taking a breath. “I’ve still got my room at the B&B.”

“Robert, I didn’t mean it,” Vic said softly. “Not…not the way you think.”

“I think you kind of did, Vic. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Vic looked regretful, but Robert was already moving, getting his phone out and heading back to the pub. He didn't go inside, taking himself out of the icy wind by sheltering in the doorway of The Woolpack, from where he saw Vic's car leave five minutes later.

He sighed. His opportunity with _Aaron_ was long gone. Blokes like that, you didn't get too many shots with someone that fit. No, the best thing to do was to get back to the B&B, sleep, and then head over to Vic's nice and early, pretending he hadn't acted like a total drama queen. Vic wasn't wrong about him after all. It was just nice not having it shoved in his face by his kid sister.

Robert found the number for the local cab firm, asking them to pick him up at the pub and take him to the Rose Inn, the door to the pub swinging open and shut behind him as people came and went. It took twenty minutes for the cab to arrive. Robert shook his head as he watched it pull up, pretty sure he could have walked the length of the village about three times waiting for the cab.

“Busy night?” Robert asked blandly as he got into the front passenger seat, his mouth falling shut when he saw his failed date from days ago.

“Well, this isn’t awkward,” Finn said, dispelling Robert’s notion before he even had it that Finn might opt out of remembering the other night.

Robert smiled, his best smile, his ‘now is not a good time to take things personally and make me call another cab’ smile. “Finn. You all right?”

“Peachy,” Finn said with a nod. “Off to Hotten is it?”

“Yeah. The Rose Inn?” Robert said, clicking in his seat belt.

Finn nodded. “Think I stayed there once. About a year ago...no, wait, am I thinking of the-”

“You know, you really don’t have to do the whole small talk thing with me,” Robert said. “A bit of quiet would be nice actually, after the day I’ve had.”

“Oh, right then. I’ll just keep my mouth shut, shall I? Not weird at all driving around a bloke my half brother tried to set me up with,” Finn said so conversationally that Robert knew there was no way he was going to keep his mouth shut for one second.

Well, he could always use this to his own advantage. “Seems like a nice bloke. Adam.”

“Yeah the conversation boat just sailed, mate,” Finn said, switching on the radio as Robert sank back with a self-piteous sigh.


	4. Chapter 4

**H O T T E N**

They pulled up outside the Rose Inn about an hour later. An _hour._ It should have been twenty minutes earlier if Finn hadn’t missed an exit and had to drive back towards a roundabout to take the correct turning. Finn still had the audacity to mutter ‘last of the big spenders’ when Robert paid him the exact amount and not a penny more.

He shut the car door with a sigh of relief before heading into the B&B, but not before noticing a motorbike he was sure he’d seen in Emmerdale. Robert look at it and then his surroundings. It couldn’t be Donny. Donny was...thick. Still, it was good to be cautious and on the look out.

The B&B was dead when Robert walked in, the lone receptionist manning the desk and smiling at Robert on seeing him. Robert was about to turn towards the lift when he noticed through the glass panels of the two closed doors of the small dimly lounge one occupant sitting at the bar and drinking from a small white cup.

The receptionist behind the desk noticed him staring, offering a polite smile asking, “Mr Connolly?”

“Uh...” Robert said, watching the man in the bar take another sip from his cup. Robert nodded towards the doors. “Any chance of a nightcap?”

The receptionist seemed to deflate just a tad, but smiled anyway and said, “Please, go on through.”

“Thanks,” Robert said, heading into the lounge, which wasn’t really much bigger than the hallway and reception combined, but fitted to be cosy and warm.

Aaron looked up as Robert walked through the doors, but registered no surprise. He just seemed to snort, smile, and then turn back to his cup.

“You all right?” Robert said, taking up a seat next to Aaron. Aaron looked across at him and nodded. Robert smiled back. “You following me around then?”

“I was here before you, mate, I should be asking _you_ that,” Aaron said, looking thoroughly amused.

The receptionist appeared, slipping behind the bar, wearing a black blazer and making Robert frown. Robert ordered a whiskey which was served with a smile before the receptionist asked if there would be anything else, and then left the lounge. Robert and Aaron both leaned back and caught sight of him through glass panels of the doors to see him back at his reception post, attired in reception gray again.

Robert took a breath and then a gulp of his whiskey, commenting, “Weird night.”

“Yeah?” Aaron asked, finishing off what was definitely tea. “How’s that then?”

Robert sighed, shaking his head and deciding the best thing to do was not answer _that_ question. Instead he eyed up Aaron, a good greedy ogle from head to toe as he finished off his drink. Aaron was watching him back, cool as a cucumber. For now.

“You not gonna ask me my name?” Robert asked. “Finish off that conversation you started in Emmerdale.”

Aaron shrugged. “What for?”

“Well, _Aaron_ , I know yours,” Robert said. “Thought you might be curious.”

“I was,” Aaron said, deliciously obstinate. “Back when I told you mine.”

“Not anymore, eh?” Robert asked softly, his eyes lingering on Aaron’s mouth, which looked soft and distracting.

Aaron shrugged again, but his expression was laced with mischief and it was reaching every part of Robert. Aaron might as well have had his hands on Robert the way he felt sitting there in the spotlight of Aaron’s challenging gaze.

“Robert. That’s my name. You know, in case you get curious,” Robert said. Aaron tilted his head, mouth turning down in mock consideration. Robert smiled, nodding at him. “Bit of a wind up, aren’t you? That’s okay. I quite like it.”

Aaron grinned, turning his attention to his empty cup, the corner of his bottom lip under his teeth. Robert reached out and pulled the cup from Aaron’s hand, putting it aside.

Aaron looked at Robert, clamping his mouth shut for a moment, before tilting his chin up in the direction of the bar doors. Very quietly, he said, “So. Your room or mine then?”

Robert nodded very slowly, relishing every word of that invitation. He smiled at Aaron and said, “Whatever’s closest.”

**~**

They both managed to get to Robert’s room without laying a hand on each other, even though the tiny lift they took to the second floor was urging them to touch. They just stared at each other during the short ride up, Aaron’s hands in the pockets of his jacket, Robert’s fisted in the pockets of his jeans.

The lift stopped and the doors slid open. It was a short walk to the third room down the corridor. When they stopped in front of the room, the slide of Robert’s keycard and the ensuing click felt like a charge being set. Robert shut the door, blinking at it for a moment before flicking the lightswitch on.

He turned around slowly to see Aaron standing before him. He looked like a livewire, face a little flushed, the rise and fall of his chest just a little faster than normal. Robert looked him up and down with a satisfied smile, taking one step, two steps and stepping into Aaron’s space so their noses brushed together as Robert leaned in.

It was strange that Aaron’s hands seemed to hesitate just a little, coming up and briefly pressing against Robert’s chest and then pulling away. Robert shook his head, leaned in and pressed his mouth to Aaron’s. Aaron noisily took in a deep breath through his nose, his hands taking fistfuls of Robert’s jacket to bring him closer.

That was it. There was no stopping now.

Robert could feel Aaron’s hunger thrumming all the way into his own body, the way he kept Robert close, the way he opened his mouth for another kiss, this one deeper. They pulled at each other’s clothes between kisses, jackets off first, followed by Aaron’s jumper and t-shirt, then Robert’s shirt.

Slipping his hand around the back of Aaron’s head, Robert pulled him in for another kiss, deftly unbuckling the belt of Aaron’s trousers with his free hand and pulling it away in one swift move that made Aaron break their kiss and look down in surprise, letting out a small laugh.

Robert grinned at him, murmuring, “Come here.”

Aaron’s hands were warm on Robert’s shoulders, his thumbs idly moving as they kissed, whilst Robert got Aaron’s trousers open and pushed them down over the curve of his bum. Robert couldn’t help but slip his hands under the waistband of Aaron’s boxers, both his hands cupping Aaron’s cheeks, pulling him close so they were pressed tight against each other.

When they momentarily broke apart Aaron’s lips looked a little more swollen and pinker, glistening with the efforts of their kissing. Robert’s brain felt like it was going fizzle and explode just thinking about that wet warm mouth on him.

“What?” Aaron asked, the single word broken into two with a stuttered breath.

Even half-dressed, Aaron seemed completely naked, from the look in his eyes to the way his hands held onto Robert. Robert grinned, telling him, “Anyone tell you how are fit you are?”

Aaron laughed, shaking his head. “Shut up.”

“You are, look at ya,” Robert said, his hands on Aaron’s waist pulling him in tight. “Thought so the second I saw you.”

“Yeah?” Aaron asked with a nod. He brought his hands up behind Robert’s neck, loose and warm. “Why do you think I knocked into you? Couldn’t keep my eyes off ya when I saw you in the pub.”

Robert grinned into their next kiss, getting a laugh out of Aaron. They stumbled towards the bed, somehow managing to get out of boots and shoes before landing together, intertwined, Aaron’s hand on Robert’s waistband, trying to pull down his jeans. Robert lifted his hips to help, but the task seemed impossible between the urgency and their reluctance to move too far from each other.

After a moment, they both broke apart, kicking their way out of their jeans, both never breaking eye contact for even a moment. Once Aaron was down to nothing but a pair of grey boxers, he lay there on his side, watching Robert get onto his knees to pull down his black boxer briefs, cock springing free, more than half hard. That slight opening of Aaron’s lips, that shrinking of the blues of his eyes, it made Robert want to pounce on him.

Aaron’s eyes flicked from Robert’s cock to his eyes, chest rising and falling quickly, a telltale bulge in the front of his own boxers becoming even more noticeable. Robert knee crawled towards Aaron, taking the waistband of his boxers at the hips and beginning to pull them down. Aaron shifted, helping Robert to slide them completely off.

Robert drank in the sight of him, the contrast of his pale skin and his dark hair, the deep flush of his curving thick cock. His frame was smaller than Robert’s, but his discrete muscles said he could probably hold is own. Aaron was like a meal laid out in front of him, and it was impossible deciding where to put his mouth first.

Robert made his choice, crawling over Aaron and sinking down on top of him, pressing himself mouth to mouth, stomach to stomach, chest to chest, Aaron’s arms snaking around his shoulders and keeping him close. He didn’t know what he wanted, wanting everything at once. It was Aaron who turned them over, breaking their kiss and looking at Robert with a curious smile, private thoughts sparkling in his eyes. Then his smile turned more mischievous and he was slowly moving down Robert’s body.

Robert propped himself up on his elbows, watching Aaron make his way down, taking a moment here and there to press a kiss against Robert’s rib, mouth at the quivering muscle of his stomach. Aaron’s hands caressed down his sides, idled at his hips. Robert threw his head back, regrouping for a second, before he looked down the length of his body again, his eyes meeting Aaron’s just before he took Robert’s cock in his mouth.

“Oh... _Jesus_ ,” Robert groaned.

The wet heat of Aaron’s mouth on him was electric bliss. Robert caught sight of flushed pink lips, wet and sliding up and down his cock, and the image of it alongside the feel of it was going to stay plastered to the insides of his eyeballs forever. The wet heat, the tight suction, the way Aaron moaned as he sucked, it had Robert crying out.

At some point, while he was a million miles into his own head, he reached out, trying to grip at short hair as he began to thrust into Aaron’s mouth. He wanted it to last forever, the feeling of teetering on the edge and about to tip over. When he came it was with a loud pained cry, his body jerking hard and pulsing into Aaron’s mouth.

 _What the hell_ , his last functioning brain cell supplied as he fell back. Somewhere faraway below the clouds, Robert thought he could hear Aaron take a stuttering breath and coughing hard. He might have lifted his hand uselessly in an attempt to reach for Aaron, but he couldn’t be sure with his body having turned in some strange form of blissful death.

When Robert could move again, he nudged his thigh against Aaron’s shoulder, offering a croaky, “Sorry. You all right?”

“Fine,” Aaron said, grimacing and clearing his throat. It made Robert grin as he sluggishly sat up and reached for Aaron, grabbing his arm and forcing him to move back up the bed. “Thought…thought you almost broke me neck there for a second.”

“Come here,” Robert said, curling his hand around the back of Aaron’s poor neck, pressing their mouths together, tasting the salty tang of himself in Aaron’s mouth, fingers moving to sooth the nape of Aaron’s neck.

Aaron plastered his body to Robert’s, his erection poking Robert hard between his thighs. Robert wanted to offer same for same, but it was hard pulling away from Aaron’s mouth and the greedy little kisses Aaron was taking from Robert. Robert pushed against him, rolling him onto his back, continuing to give up all the kisses Aaron wanted, whilst he let his hand slide down Aaron’s stomach, full span of it spread out greedily, possessively.

Aaron moaned into Robert’s mouth when that hand closed around his hard and leaking cock. Robert pulled his head back for a second, watching the play of emotions on Aaron’s face, the frustration and the want all meshed together, his mouth opening to gasp. Robert moved his hand sliding his fist up and down Aaron’s cock, easily done with the slick of pre-come.

When Aaron’s mouth fell open with another gasp, Robert kissed him, despite Aaron’s mouth being unable to coordinate itself enough to cooperate, panting as he got closer and closer to the edge. Pulling away again, Robert grinned down at the sight of Aaron arching back, face turning into the pillow. Robert sped up his hand, watching the way the tip of Aaron’s cock appeared and disappeared from his hold, the way Aaron’s body was taut beside him, like a bow about to break.

He chased Aaron’s mouth, nipping at his mouth and whispering, “Aaron? _Aaron_.”

Aaron let out a surprised cry, shooting over Robert’s fist as well as up all over his chest, and catching his chin. Robert let out a surprised laugh, flinching as his skin felt the splatter of come. Robert’s hand was still around Aaron’s dick, still moving slowly, warm and firm flesh in Robert’s grasp.

Aaron made a noise of protest, shaking his head and limply swatting at Robert’s hand until he was let go of. Robert lay there propped on an elbow, watching as Aaron’s body slowly shifted from its splay onto its side, Aaron tucking his arm under his head, looking up at Robert through sweat-damp lashes. He chuckled, closing his eyes.

“Not falling asleep on me are ya?” Robert asked, smoothing his hand down Aaron’s side.

Aaron smiled and shook his head, but didn’t open his eyes. “Why? Want me to go?”

“Nah. I have to be up early,” Robert said as he moved his hand to Aaron’s arm, sliding down to his hand where he traced the bones of thumb and fingers. “Might not bother sleeping at all.”

Aaron’s mouth moved in a strange little direction, a suppressed smile perhaps, or just more mischief. “Well, suppose I could give you a little company. If you like.”

“I like,” Robert said with a pleased smile, leaning in for a kiss.

**~**

Robert’s alarm went off at six, its sharp twittering making him grimace. He reached for his phone and quickly turned it off, eyeing his notifications. Nothing from Vic, and only 10% battery left.

He sighed and sat up, realising that Aaron was perched on the end of the bed in a fluffy bathrobe, rather than lying at Robert’s side, tapping away at his phone, stern and focused.

It was a wonder he was already up. They’d made the most of their night before cleaning themselves up and getting back in bed for what would be just over an hour’s sleep. At least, it would be for Robert, seeing as Aaron was already wide awake and absorbed in messaging someone.

“Did you even sleep?” Robert asked with a tired sigh as he shifted to sit up, lazily blinking at Aaron.

Aaron smiled, looking ruffled and pink-cheeked. “A bit.”

“Was I snoring?” It _was_ an accusation that had been lobbed at him once, but that was a long time ago.

“Nah,” Aaron said. “You did kick me a few times though.”

Robert pulled a face. “Oh, sorry. My ex used to hate it when I did that. Drove her mad.”

Aaron turned a little more towards Robert, phone forgotten. “Her?”

Robert sighed inwardly. “Yeah. _Her_. What? What’s that look?”

 _That_ look had been a definitive cooling of Aaron’s gaze, and a tightening around his mouth. But he shrugged and said, “None of my business.”

“I’m bisexual,” Robert said, his whole face scrunching around the taste of the word. “It means you like both.”

Aaron grinned, looking down at his phone. Nodding, he said, “I wasn’t judging ya.”

“No, you were probably just thinking, that was a pretty gay night we had,” Robert said, smiling when Aaron looked up at him and laughed.

“I’m not judging you,” Aaron said, this time a little softer. It worked. Robert wanted to crawl across the bed and climb all over Aaron. It took all the will in the world to stay where he was. “So. Where’s she now then?”

Robert grimaced and groaned. “Really?”

That cheeky look was back on Aaron’s face. “What? Just curious.”

Robert sighed, looking up at the ceiling, imagining distant landscapes and heated encounters under a hotter sun. “I dunno, out there somewhere. Desecrating graves. Looking for mummies. Trying to impress daddy dearest.”

Aaron’s brow climbed up into his hairline, eyes shifting away from Robert for a moment, openly unpicking _that_ statement. He nodded slowly. “Right.”

“I’m going to take a shower.” Robert wanted the matter of his ex dropped, throwing back the covers and getting up, a little thrilled by Aaron’s gaze raking up and down his naked body. Aaron just nodded again. Robert rolled his eyes and smiled at Aaron. “You need a written invitation?”

Aaron did that thing again, twisted his smile into something smaller, something controlled. But he couldn’t fail the way it reached his eyes, brightening them into the colour of a blue flame. He got up from the bed, stepping into Robert’s space with a nod.

Robert pulled him in for a kiss as if they had been doing this for years, waking up to each other every morning. What a thought that was. Aaron pulled back and grinned, all the invitation Robert needed to get rid of the robe, and get more of Aaron.


	5. Chapter 5

Robert stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets and shivered, the morning breeze bitter cold. Next to him Aaron gave himself a little shake, grimacing as he probably realised his little jacket wasn’t going to cut it.

What a shame it had been, seeing that jacket go back on over that black sweater and those black jeans, over that t-shirt and over those boxers. Robert couldn’t believe that for a tiny tiny moment he had wondered if one more day was going to make a difference when it came to finding his golden hoard.

“Sure you don’t want breakfast? Most important meal of the day and all,” Aaron said as they walked down the road towards the nearest bus stop, snapping Robert out of his regretful musing.

“Nah, I’ll grab something at my sister’s place. If she lets me in,” Robert said.

“Why? What did you do?” Aaron asked with a teasing smile.

“Why does it have to be me who did something?” Robert asked, vexed far too quickly. But Aaron was grinning, and Robert’s tantrum fizzled out before it could even begin. He shrugged and said, “I might have gone off into a sulk. But she was out of order too.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Aaron said. They’d arrived at the bus stop and it seemed to signal loudly, without making a single sound, that the end of their night had officially come to its end.

Robert looked into the distance and thought he could spot a bus making its way. Taking a deep breath he turned back to Aaron, pulling up a smile. “So… where you heading to now?”

Aaron frowned for a moment, but then seemed to catch up with the question. “Catching up with friends before I head back.”

“Back to…?” Robert asked slowly.

“Leeds,” Aaron said with a nod. “You?”

Robert thought about it. It had been a while since he had any permanent address. Leeds was looking quite inviting though. “Be in Hotten for a while.”

Aaron pulled a face, that downturned mouth of consideration as he glanced at the pavement, kicking at something invisible. “Right.”

“Maybe we could-” Robert begun as Aaron looked up sharply, his eyes moving to something over Robert’s shoulder.

He interrupted, “That not your bus is it?”

Robert looked in the direction of the stupid bus, nodding. “Yeah...yeah. That’s me.”

The doors to the bus opened and Robert stepped in, Aaron nodding at him, looking all strange and antsy. Robert turned around blinking at the bus driver. Closing his eyes and sighing, he turned back around and hopped back off the bus.

“You know what,” Robert said. “Breakfast sounds good.”

The corner of Aaron’s mouth twisted up and then his mouth shifted into a smile as he tilted his head in the direction of the high street. Easily, just like that, they fell into step, shoulders brushing against each other as they walked.

That felt good too, someone at his side, someone who made his hands itch to be all over him. Funny, the only other thing that had ever made his hands itch like that was the prospect of treasure.

**~**

“Can’t believe it,” Robert said as they sat down at a small square table, both of them having given their orders at a little greasy spoon that was still quiet enough for a nice relaxed breakfast. Aaron frowned at him in question, taking off his jacket and sticking it on the seat next to him. “You were just gonna let me get on that bus without asking for my number.”

Aaron scowled at the ketchup container before him, a plastic tomato that he felt the need to push to the side. “Didn’t see you asking for mine.”

Robert leaned forward, elbows on table. “Yeah? What are we doing here then?”

“Thought we were having breakfast,” Aaron said, slowly leaning back in his chair, neutral expression, arms folded across his chest.

Robert gave him a _come on_ look and that made Aaron’s face twitch into a little smile. Robert shook his head and sat back, muttering. “Wind up.”

Aaron’s mouth twisted with amusement. He glanced around the cafe, gaze going from one occupied table to another, before it came back to Robert. Robert didn’t try to hide the fact he’d been watching Aaron. He was about to ask Aaron something, when Aaron beat him to it.

“Bit weird bumping into each other, weren’t it?” he said.

Robert smirked and said, “Dunno. Quite liked it.”

Aaron’s laugh was quiet, a parting of his mouth and a flash of teeth, cheeks pinking before he shook his head in a manner that suggested that Robert was possibly an idiot.

Robert picked up the small glass salt shaker, fiddling with it. “Suppose it is a bit weird though.”

“Not following me, are you?” Aaron said, his eyes on the shaker, something incredibly mischievous dancing in his eyes. Robert answered with a smile.

A burly man from the behind counter arrived with two fry-ups, setting down a plate each in front of Aaron and Robert. “There you go lads. That oughta put some hairs on your chest.”

“Thanks, mate,” Aaron said with a nod, Robert nodding in thanks too. Aaron tucked in straight away, making Robert’s mouth twitch with amusement. Aaron stopped, holding up a fork with a piece of sausage en route to his mouth. “What?”

“Nothing. Just...looks like you worked up quite an appetite,” Robert said, lifting up his cup grinning into his tea.

“Who’s fault’s that then?” Aaron asked.

“Guilty as charged,” Robert answered with a shrug.

He put his cup down and started on his food, realising with the first mouthful of egg and bacon that he was in fact famished. That was the funny thing about greed when it related to things and people, it made you forget your appetite for the necessary things in life.

He could have spent an entire day locked in a room with Aaron, and he would have craved only one thing, and that was to burrow deeper still into the man he had met barely 12 hours ago. Robert put down his fork, reaching for his cup and taking a sip of hot tea.

“So, I might be going away for a day or two, but then I’ll be back in Hotten,” Robert said. Aaron nodded, listening. Robert shrugged and said, “We could...go out for a drink.”

“Could do,” Aaron said, expression schooled, but eyes sparkling in a language Robert was certain he knew.

Robert reached into his jacket pocket and pulled put a pen before he leaned forward, grabbing Aaron’s hand where it sat idle next to his momentarily forgotten fork. Taking his time, Robert inscribed his number onto the palm of Aaron’s hand, careful and precise, one digit by one.

It caught the eyes of the two other diners, sending curious looks in their direction, swiftly turning back again. Aaron wouldn’t have known; he was staring at Robert, his mouth slightly open. Robert pulled away, finished, gaze on Aaron as he eyed the black on his palm, Aaron's fingers closing around the number, making a fist.

“Send me your number if you want,” Robert said, getting up, Aaron still looking at his closed fist, his cheeks flushed pink. 

Offering Aaron a parting smile, Robert turned and walked out of the cafe, though his heart was thudding uncomfortably in his chest as he made his way back to the bus stop. Bacon, he told himself, it’s the bacon. It definitely wasn’t the uncertainty of Aaron’s decision to call or not. It didn’t matter, Robert had extended a hand, all he could do was wait.

“Right, that’s that,” he muttered to himself as he took his seat on the bus, the little old lady next to him casting a worried look in his direction. He nodded at her, “All right?”

She gave him a wary look and went back to holding her handbag tight as the bus took off at a breakneck speed of about 5 miles an hour. His phone pinged in his pocket. That would be Vic not apologising and demanding to know where he was. Robert took out his phone with a sigh, noting the battery was now at a precious 5 per cent. He frowned at the screen and the text message from an unknown number, smiling when he read the message itself.

**smooth**

Robert grinned, texting back immediately.

**worked didn’t it?**

An agonising 40 seconds passed, before another text appeared.

**nah ;)**

Robert grinned, letting out a huff of laughter. The old lady at his side gave him a disapproving look. He offered a scowl in return, before texting back with a pleased smile:

**wind up ;)**

**~**

Vic looked as if she was ready to go off rambling the second she opened the door to the flat, geared up from her neat hairdo to her hiking boots. She gave Robert a disapproving look and walked away. Robert rolled his eyes, shutting the door and following.

He looked around the place, which was still tiny. Maybe it felt normal sized to Vic though. He’d keep that thought for when Vic was in a better mood. As Robert looking around the tiny but tidy living room, Vic reappeared with a large rucksack, one that could probably carry her (another thought to file away for a more jovial time). She threw it at Robert, surprising him with its weight.

“I don’t think we’ll need to take so many rocks with us,” Robert commented.

“I packed you some layers, there’s a pair of boots in the hallway that’ll do ya. Adam said he’s arranged for some camping gear if we need it,” Vic said sullenly.

“Camping?” Robert asked, making a face at the thought. “I thought this excursion was going to take a day, tops two days.”

Vic gave him an exasperated look patented by their late father. “Oh, I’m sorry. Am I getting in the way of your very busy social life? It’s just that I thought you were as eager to check this out as I am.”

“Yeah, check it out. Not move in,” Robert said, dropping the rucksack onto the floor.

Vic shook her head, rubbing her fingers against her temple and turning to leave with a, “Whatever.”

Robert lumpenly followed her into the even tinier kitchen, leaning against the doorframe as he watched her put the kettle on. He considered their last conversation, commenting, “I didn’t mean to stomp off like that yesterday. It’s not like you said something that wasn’t true.”

Vic looked up at him, sad regret written all the way across her eyes and mouth. “Shouldn’ta said it though, should I? You’re the reason this trip is even happening.”

“Yeah, but you found the map in the box, didn’t you?” Robert said, earning a small smile from Vic. “You know what? Come to think of it, it’s been a while since we both went camping. Maybe it’ll be fun. We could share a tent like last time.”

“I don’t think so,” Vic said, grinning at him. She shuddered and said, “I can still feel the creepy crawlies in my hair. You were rotten.”

“You put worms in my pockets,” Robert said flatly.

“They were gifts. I was just a baby!” Vic said with a laugh.

Robert couldn’t help but laugh too. He could hear his mother in the back of his mind, gathering them both up and telling them to behave. Such a happy memory, and yet it twisted his insides into knots that made his muscles quiver.

Vic called him softly and he snapped out of his thoughts almost too suddenly. “Robert. Robert? You all right?”

Robert forced a grin to his face. “Yeah. So, what’s the itinerary?”

Vic busied herself with making two cups of tea, saving Robert from her assessment, giving him time to center himself again.

“Well, I was hoping we’d be at Hotten Station by now. Takes about two hours to get to Lansdale; have to go up to Darlington and get a second train. Adam said he’ll make a call on the way to arrange a car. He knows a bloke from the last time he was up there. Two hour drive from there, and then we can either put ourselves up in a hotel for the evening, or we can carry on up to Camdeighl. That’ll take all night. Adam didn’t seem too keen on that. Said it might be better we just stay in the hotel overnight and then move out early next day. What do you think?”

“I think you fell for a bloke who’s scared of the dark,” Robert said with a grin.

Vic shook her head, handing him his cup of tea. “Can you not be an idiot for five seconds? Adam’s really nice. Said he’d feel responsible if anything happens to me out there.”

“Oh, thanks a lot,” Robert said.

Vic smiled, putting her arms around Robert’s waist and giving him a tight hug. “Aw, poor you. I’m sure whoever you were with last night would be sad too.”

She pulled away and gave him a knowing look, to which Robert replied with a snort. “What you on about?”

“Like I don’t know my dirty stop-out of a brother. Besides, that on your neck looks like you’ve either got beard burn or you slept on a right rough pillow.”

“Shut up,” Robert said, which only made Vic look a little brighter.

“Oh, bit of a let down was he? You’re embarrassed, it’s okay, happens to the best of us,” Vic said.

“Uh, _no._ Actually, he’s probably the fittest bloke in Hotten. I’d just rather not discuss my sex life with my little sister. And by little I mean tiny. This flat’s like being in a doll’s house,” Robert said, receiving a damp dish rag to the face.

**~**

By Robert’s estimation they were considerably behind their well meaning schedule. Having said that, who the hell was going to be sitting at a train station at 8am in the morning in the hope of finding buried treasure that probably didn’t even exist? He should have just sold the box the map had been hidden in. That would have been more than enough to fund a new excursion somewhere exciting.

Somewhere exciting and _hot_.

Robert looked up at the grey sky and grimaced. It was drizzling. Was there anything worse than the penetrating icy chill of winter drizzle? He had three layers on and yet the very idea of the drizzle made him shiver.

“You always this cheerful in the morning?” Adam asked as he walked down the train platform, joining Robert and Vic.

He’d only shaved his beard right off. His hair looked a little neater too. Vic was staring at him like he was covered in gold.

Adam gave Vic the softest of smiles with. “You all right?”

She nodded, with the _smiliest_ of smiles. God she looked happy. Robert would have to be a right bastard to begrudge whatever the hell it was Adam was doing for his sister. Robert would have put it down to librarians having low standards, but he could already hear Vic arguing with him about that idea being a contradiction of terms. That thought was best discarded than filed away.

“So, look, I talked to my contact in Lansdale and he’s got a car ready for us when we get there. We’ll take the 10:25, should be in Lansdale by two. Nice little pub close by too, so we can stop off for food,” Adam said. “Then it’s a good two hours before we reach Camdeighl.”

“That sounds good to me, all of it,” Vic said with an enthusiastic nod. Adam opened his mouth to say something, a tentative look on his face. Vic held up her hand and stopped him. “We’re going. You don’t have to go all the way. Just take us close enough and point us in the right direction.”

“You must be mad,” Adam said, far too serious for his own good. “I’m not letting you go up there by yourself.”

“Oh thanks,” Robert said. “Didn’t know you cared.”

“You know what, just keeping joking,” Adam told Robert. “Won’t be for long.”

“I’m a big boy. I’m sure I can handle it,” Robert said.

 _Having_ said that...Robert really hoped this wasn’t going to turn out to be too dirty, exhausting and time consuming. Though he was most certainly built for riches, his body wasn’t really built for the boring kind of exertion. He was feeling tired just thinking about it. His interest in treasures was mostly about the acquisition than the adventure.

“Oh, hold on, Paddy’s calling,” Vic said, turning her back to both Adam and Robert.

Robert took the opportunity to ask Adam, “Someone nick your beard and all?”

Adam rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Do you ever let up, man?”

“Not really,” Robert said. Adam snorted, his gaze drifting to Vic. He looked serious, which seemed wrong for the kind of face he had. Robert frowned, asking, “So...what exactly happened last time you were up in Camdeighl? Must have been pretty bad if you’re still freaked out.”

“I’m warning you, mate-”

“Whoa,” Robert said, holding up a hand. “I’m not winding you up. Genuinely, I want to know. If I’m going up there with my sister, I ought to know what’s going on. If anything happens to her-”

“I wouldn’t let it,” Adam said hotly, so much so Robert was surprised. So was Adam by the look of it. He shook his head, quietly telling Robert, “I wouldn’t.”

“Then tell me,” Robert said.

Adam looked in Vic’s direction, snippets of her conversation carrying over. Adam swallowed, looking back at Robert. “It’s hard to explain.”

“Well, try me,” Robert said. Adam looked reluctant. Robert tried a softer approach, coaxing him. “It’s all right. Go on.”

Adam ran a hand through his hair, eyes nervously shifting from Vic to Robert. He looked scared, enough to make Robert ask himself how much was treasure really worth to any man? Or, for example, to him?

Adam fixed his gaze on Robert. “I saw things. As soon as you step into the woods...you can feel it, something ain’t right. I don’t know if it was a trick of the light, or something really happened, but I saw something that was impossible.”

“Like what?” Robert asked.

Adam laughed. “Like stuff that ain’t real, okay? That place messes with your head, mate. If you have any sense, you’ll change your mind and not get on that train. And you’ll make sure she doesn’t either.”

Robert was turning over that suggestion. He shook his head. “You don’t know my sister. She get’s something into her head, good luck changing her mind.”

Vic got off the phone and practically stomped over to stand between him and Adam. “You’re not gonna believe this.”

He looked down at her with a questioning frown. “What?”

“There was a break in at museum last night,” Vic said, looking baffled. “Paddy says some stuff was taken, he’s making an inventory. He said my office was turned over too.”

Robert stared at her. “The box. Did they take the map box?”

Vic shrugged. “Paddy doesn’t know what was taken. He wanted to know if there’s anything I want him to look out for.”

“Did you tell him about the box?” Robert asked. “No, wait. Don’t tell him. He’ll just keep it for the collection and we’ll end up getting nothing for it.”

“Don’t you mean, _I’ll_ end up getting nothing for it?” Adam asked.

“Yeah, if you haven’t already pocketed it,” Robert said.

“He didn’t even know where it was, Robert,” Vic said, looking appalled at the accusation.

“No, but he could have heard us talking about it last night,” Robert countered.

“Well, you know what, even if I do have it, technically it would be with its rightful owner,” Adam said, getting in Robert’s face. Again, he softened when looking at Vic. “But it weren’t me, right? We made a deal, didn’t we? Besides, if I had it, I’d have no reason to go with you now, would I?”

Robert opened his mouth to say there were plenty of idiots who would go to insane lengths just to pull, but Vic shut up him with a fiery glare. She said, “Train’ll be here in a minute. I’ll get us some coffee.”

“I’ll give you a hand,” Adam said, the lovebirds walking off together into the little cafe nestled within the platform.

Robert tried not to sulk as he picked up his rucksack from the ground where it had sat between his ankles, apathetically hoisting it up onto his shoulder with a heavy sigh. The box was gone, which firmly put him in the zero profit bracket so far. It was all minus from here on if they didn’t find some kind of ancient hoard.

Maybe he should have stayed in Tunisia.

Or at the very least, in Hotten.


	6. Chapter 6

Sitting in his seat and watching the countryside fly by, Robert had the strongest urge to get his phone out and text Aaron. All suggestive filth of course, but it was a little difficult to do that with Vic and Adam sat before him, wittering on about all sorts.

Robert took his phone out and looked at the only exchange between him and Aaron. Innocuous words on a screen and yet the sight of them sent an electric thrill all the way through him, his skin flaring up with memories of Aaron’s touch. It made his hand close tight around his phone, and the skin of his face heat up.

He wished he could stretch his legs, but there wasn’t really anywhere to go on a three carriage train. Craning his neck around his seat, he looked down the aisle. There were some empty seats further down, and probably same in the next carriage, if one needed some private time, Robert thought.

He got up and stretched, telling Vic, “Gonna try and stretch my legs.”

“They’re longer than the train, mate, good luck with that,” Adam said, already proving helpful.

“Yeah, funny,” Robert said, not missing the reprimanding look from Vic as he left.

He took a leisurely stroll to the end of the carriage, opening the doors between and stepping into the next one. Looked like the middle carriage was half empty, single passengers taking up more than their fair share of seats. Robert cast his eye across the carriage for a nice quiet space, spotting a group of six empty seats, three facing three. He strolled past the few occupants of the carriage, engrossed in papers, books and phones, falling into his new seat with a satisfied sigh.

Vic would have complained about him putting his feet up on the vacant seats in front, but she was too enamored with Adam to be mothering him at the moment, so he plonked one foot on the seat in front, and then then the other atop, crossing his legs at the ankles and shifting down as much as possible as the length of his body allowed.

He took his phone out, bringing the messages from Aaron up, smiling at the teasing _**nah**_. _Nah my arse_ , Robert thought. Without thinking about what the hell he was up to, Robert keyed in, _**what u up 2?**_ Of course, now he’d have to wait to see if Aaron even replied. The morning and the B&B was beginning to feel a lifetime away. Aaron was probably on his way back to Leeds…

The phone chirped.

**on my way to see a mate**

**lucky mate ;)** Robert replied immediately.

**why? jealous?**

Robert eyed the word _**jealous**_ and allowed himself to imagine a certain smile of amusement on Aaron’s face. It would be a teasing smile, wouldn’t it? There would be a fiery look in his eyes, challenging Robert to do something about it. And Robert would. He’d drag Aaron to bed and stamp himself all over Aaron. Jesus, he thought. Where the hell was that even coming from? He stared at the text, time passing without answer.

_**Joking** _

The word appeared in its harmless bubble, but Robert felt a strange tremor in his chest at the sight of it. He thought he could see Aaron chewing his lip, typing that in as an afterthought. Was it possible to know someone after a night? What did he know about Aaron at all other than the fact their bodies seem to speak a language too complex for Robert’s mind. _I wasn’t jealous_ , he wanted to say, _but I am now_. The idea of it was like a match being lit under something yearning to burn.

Robert’s thumbs hovered, directionless. With each passing second, he was sending Aaron all sorts of messages that required no letters. _Idiot_ , he thought at himself. Finally, he attempted a response, smirking to himself as he wrote, _**reckon he’d be jealous if he knew what you got up to last night**_

An answer didn’t come until after a minute, but it made Robert smile, and re-stoked the embers of a fire that showed no sign of abating. Aaron had written, _**you reckon do ya? ;)**_

Robert sent back a grin and let himself sink against his seat, closing his eyes and remembering all the reasons he would be jealous if Aaron was indeed with someone else.

**~**

Robert didn’t realise he’d fallen asleep until he was startled awake by the soft coaxing whisper of his name. He frowned, opened his eyes to find Aaron seated in front of him, leaning across the space between their seats, the intense blue of his gaze trained on Robert.

Robert frowned at him. “What you doing here?”

“Do you not want me here?” Aaron whispered, his voice a quiet rasp.

Robert shook his head at the ridiculousness of the question, whispering back into that small space between them, “Of course I want ya.”

Aaron smiled, leaning in just that bit closer and pressing his mouth to Robert’s, pulling him into a deep and breathtaking kiss. He was grinning at Robert when he pulled back, and then sinking down onto his knees, so achingly slow…

“Robert!”

Robert grimaced at his sister’s dream-smashing voice. Cracking one eye open, he saw her standing over him with her arms folded over her chest and a stern look on her face.

She nodded towards his feet on the empty seats. “What are you like?”

“Ugh,” Robert mumbled, straightening up where he sat. “Are we there yet or what?”

“We stopped five minutes ago, mate,” Adam said looking thoroughly amused. “You were proper knocked out.”

“Yeah well, I didn’t get much sleep last night,” Robert said, with a yawn. ”What time is it?”

“Three,” Vic said.

Robert aimed an unimpressed look at Adam. “Thought you said we’d be here well before two. It’ll be dark in no time, which as I recall is something that sends you into hiding.”

Adam ignored the jibe with a roll of his eyes. “Signal problems or something. But we’re here now, and it’s just an hour to Lansdale.”

“Well, come on then,” Vic said. “Better get going. Here, I brought your rucksack.”

She dumped the rucksack in Robert’s lap, walking off with Adam and leaving Robert to sluggishly regain his senses. He could see them both outside the carriage, the window’s misting lending them an almost sickly romantic quality. Vic was pointing into the distance with a grin. Adam followed her gaze, laughed and shoved his hands in his pockets.

Whilst Vic’s eyes stayed on whatever had her entranced, Adam’s eyes were trained on her, mouth clamped shut. Robert shook his head slightly, smiling a little. Vic could do better, but then, she’d also done much worse. Not that Robert was one to talk - his last relationship had been an absolute disaster.

He stood up with a sigh, slinging his baggage over his shoulder and making his way out of the ridiculous three carriage train that had brought them to Darlington. He headed over to Vic and Adam, ruining their chatter by shoving his bag at Adam.

“Here, hold on to that for a moment. Gonna use the little boys’ room.”

Robert wasn’t sure either of them noticed him as he left; he could have handed Adam a bomb and he probably would have blindly taken it. Smitten idiot.

Robert quickly used the mens room, splashed some water on his face to freshen up a bit, and then stopped off at the kiosk on the platform to grab three coffees and snacks. He tried not to be too offended when Vic saw him bearing refreshments and beamed at him.

“Ah, thanks, mate,” Adam said, surprise evident in his voice.

Robert nodded, pocketing his small pack of biscuits and taking his rucksack back from Adam. He took a gulp of his Americano, which did an excellent job of warming him throughout at first taste. He still needed to catch up on lost sleep, but the nap and coffee were beginning to help.

“So, what now?”

“Lansdale train should be here in ten minutes,” Adam said. “Minor delay. I’ve booked rooms at a hotel. We can drive up to Camdeighl in the morning. If we start out tonight, it’s gonna get too late.”

Adam looked like he was ready for Robert to offer another jibe at his fear of the dark, or whatever it was in the dark that had shaken Adam up so badly, so when Vic opened her mouth to protest, Robert said, “I agree. We’ll need good lighting.”

Vic looked surprised, blinking at him. Then she smiled and say, “Okay. So, we’ll go to Lansdale, rest up, and then drive out early tomorrow morning.”

“Fine by me,” Robert said, watching as the departure board updated. “Just as well. Looks like we’ll be waiting for the next train. This one’s just been cancelled.”

**~**

The train ride to Lansdale was infuriatingly slow due to power lines and weather and who knew what. Robert had commented with annoyance, “Probably due to trains on the track and people needing to flippin’ use them.”

It wouldn’t have been so bad, but Vic and Adam seemed unbothered by the speed of travel, absorbed in their quiet murmurings. Robert eyed them both, sitting side by side across the aisle.

 _Camdeighl_ , Robert wanted to snort.

Vic had a habit of getting caught up with scraps of information, hoping they would lead to something meaningful. He could imagine it now, the look on her face when Camdeighl would turn out to offer no more than saleable burial tat, lost kingdoms remaining lost, and all that was lost with them.

Robert looked out of the window, blinking sleepily at the darkening sky. There was a trickling of words in his mind that kept prodding and running away, not letting him catch hold of a memory.

Someone fell into the seat next to him and he turned his head to find Vic smiling at him. She asked him, “You all right?”

“The gallant knight, daily bedight in sunshine in shadow...”

Vic beamed at him. “He’d journeyed long, singing a song, in search of Eldorado...”

“...Eldorado,” Robert said with Vic, smiling with her.

“Only,” she said very seriously, “it’s actually, _Gaily bedight, a gallant knight, in sunshine and in shadow, had journeyed long, singing a song, in search of Eldorado_. You always get the beginning wrong.”

“Same difference,” Robert said, looking back at the slowly passing countryside. Looked like Lansdale was going to be out in the arse end of nowhere.

“You thinking about mum?” Vic asked quietly.

“No.”

“She loved that poem,” Vic said. Robert didn’t say anything. Vic seemed to sink into her seat next to him, sighing, “Ride, boldly ride.”

Vic brushed a finger under her eye. Robert looked away from her again, wishing he hadn’t said anything. When he looked back, she had somewhat gotten a hold of herself, but her eyes had a telltale tinge of pink. Robert wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

“I miss her too.”

She frowned at him. “Just her?”

Robert swallowed, his face feeling as the scaffolding of bravado was on the brink of collapse, his chin trembling ever so slightly. “‘Course not. I miss Dad too. But...but she was our mum, wasn’t she?”

Vic nodded and this time tears spilled over onto her cheeks. He held her a little closer, as she sniffed and said, “Sorry.”

Robert kissed the top of her head. “You’re alright. She woulda been dead proud of you, you know. Probably be giving _me_ a clip round the ear, but she’d be proud of you.”

Vic smiled, pulling back to look at him. “I think she’d be proud of you. So would Dad.”

“Yeah?” Robert murmured, feeling strangely numb. He schooled his expression the best he could, frowning at the ache in his chest which bloomed far too easily.

Vic smiled at him. “Thanks, Robert.”

“What for?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Going along with this.”

Robert smiled, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “Vic. You know I’d do anything for buried treasure.”

She looked unimpressed, but then ended up smiling all the same. “Yeah, including running off to Egypt with a dodgy archaeologist. Never did tell me what happened there.”

“Well, there’s a lot to be learned from two generations of highly skilled _monied_ grave robbers,” Robert said. “For instance, where they find their more interesting trinkets. Maps hidden away in funny little boxes, for one.”

Vic’s eyes widened. She leaned in towards Robert. “You didn’t.”

“Of course I did,” Robert said with a shrug “Do you know me at all? The good doctor had been having a back and forth with some bloke in Emmerdale to get that box you just left lying around in your office. I got there first. You’re welcome by the way.”

Vic shook her head in awe. “You’re awful, you are.”

“Brilliant, darling sister, is the word you’re looking for.” Robert grinned brightly and leaned back. “So there you go. Went to Egypt, learned a few more things, got a tan, came back.”

Vic was quiet for a moment, making no sound other than the percolating of her overactive brain. “I mean...it’s not like you stole it from _her. And_ the bloke you _did_ steal it from is with us, so it’s not really even stealing in the end, is it?”

Robert grinned. “Knew you’d see it my way.”

Vic waved off the comment. “Surprised about you and Chrissie though. Thought you two would be hitched by now the way you were carrying on.”

Robert shrugged, thinking back to the months of convincing himself that attraction plus opportunity plus money would make it easy to stay with someone. In the end, when it fell apart, all he mourned was the profit he could have made, and the life he had almost built.

Vic put an arm around Robert’s and pulled him in close. “You will find someone, you know. Someone who brings the best out in you.”

“The best, eh?” Robert asked with an amused smile. “How can you be so sure?”

Vic looked up at him with an earnest and honest gaze. “You’re my brother. I _know_ you.”

Robert swallowed, nodding, feeling unnerved by Vic’s faith in him. She wasn’t quite putting him on any pedestal, but even at the foot of one, there was plenty of room to fall and roll away into the gutter.

“So,” Vic said, sounding dangerously perky. “This ‘fittest bloke in Hotten’. What was he like?”

Robert smiled. “I think it’s time you went back to your own seat.”

**L A N S D A L E**

It was gone six by the time they arrived at Lansdale Station, daylight gone and snow beginning to come down hard. The train delays had left them with little time for anything other than dinner and getting their heads down for the night.

Adam’s contact had driven the car to the station, leaving it parked on a side road, which was just as well since the weather appeared to be taking a turn for the worse, and walking even ten minutes in the cold felt like a feat.

Adam picked up the keys from the cafe next to the station and after a few minutes of walking and locating the car, a small boring blue Vauxhall which made Robert wince, they crammed into it quickly, waiting in silence for it to warm them up.

Getting to the hotel took roughly half an hour, the stately mansion turned hotel looking grand under the flurry of snow when they arrived. Lansdale Heights stood tall and brooding, eyeing its guests with yellow eyes of warm light filtering through slim windows.

Robert considered for a moment that such a hotel seemed more suited to trysts than stopovers, and wondered if Adam had picked it for reasons other than convenience.

“Bit fancy,” Robert commented.

“Yeah, well, good luck finding anything else around here,” Adam said. “There’s the pub, about twenty minutes back, no rooms available, and there’s one B&B in town, if you want to get in the car and drive in this weather.”

Vic looked back and arched a brow at Robert. He chose to answer with a roll of his eyes as they continued up the snaking path towards the entrance of Lansdale Heights.

The foyer was busy for a hotel in the middle of nowhere, and it seemed like there were quite a few new arrivals.

“I’ll go check us in,” Adam said. Vic nodded and said, “I’ll come with you.”

Robert trailed behind, not that Vic or Adam would have noticed. Behind him, more people entered the foyer, looking frozen and tired. Robert watched them hurry to the check-in desk where there was already quite a small crowd.

“Well, we’re lucky,” Vic said when she had Adam returned, handing Robert his key card.

“Why? What’s happening?” Robert asked.

“Summat about falling power lines. They’re diverting trains to Lansdale, but anyone wanting to get out is stuck for now,” Adam said. “Since our rooms were already booked, we don’t need to worry about it. Check out's 11am day after tomorrow.”

“Nice one,” Robert said, watching the small crowd at the desk grow by another two people. “Right, I’m going to go take a long shower.”

“Should we meet back down here for dinner?” Vic asked him.

Adam looked disappointed. Robert tried not to grin, feeling in a magnanimous mood. “Uh, yeah, maybe if I wasn’t running on about an hour of sleep. Think I’ll just crash if it’s all the same.”

“Oh, too bad, mate,” Adam said, probably forgetting that in order to look disappointed he’d have stop grinning like a moron first.

“I’ll see you both in the morning, yeah?” Robert said.

Vic smiled at him in her sweet Vic-like way. Adam gave him an entirely too friendly smile, the little scrote. Robert gave him a hard look and turned to Vic.

“What room are you in by the way? I might have to turn up unannounced at some point to ask you a random question.”

Adam rolled his eyes, which was better than looking scared or smug Robert supposed. It was Vic who rose to the challenge with a ball-freezing glare.

“Okay, fine, whatever,” Robert muttered.

“She’s across the hall from you, mate,” Adam said. Looking at Vic he added, “And if you need anything, I’m right next door.”

Vic blinked, giving them both a sulky look. “You both done?”

“I’m done,” Robert said, Adam just looking away with a small smile.

“Right. I think I might go and have a little drink then,” Vic said, "then a nice long shower, and then something to eat.”

“Oh...uh. Don’t mind if I join ya, do you?” Adam all but bounded to her side. Vic scowled at him. He grinned. “Uh...yeah. Not for the shower. I meant that drink. It’s been a long drive.”

Vic’s nostrils flared in that way they did when she was trying to look serious when really she wanted to smile. In the end, she did smile. A thin-lipped, clamped smile that pushed at her cheeks and made her eye sparkle. Robert didn’t know whether to feel happy or to murder Adam right on the spot.

“Can if you want,” Vic said with a shrug. Adam beamed as if Vic had just asked him to marry her.

They walked off together, Robert calling out. “I drink.”

Vic looked back giving him a wide-eyed warning.

Slinging his rucksack over his shoulder, Robert made his way to the lift, cast an eye in Vic and Adam’s direction as they made their slow way to the bar and restaurant, all soft looks and tentative smiles, as if they were the only ones in the world.

That thought had him scowling as he stepped into the lift.

He got out on the third floor, his room halfway down the corridor. When he stepped inside, he dropped the rucksack with a grateful sigh. The room wasn’t shabby at all, with its big bed and soft creamy sheets, the heavy curtains in the same colour, and the warm lighting making the space glow.

When he took off his shoes he could feel the plushness of the carpet through his socks. This was costing a pretty penny...and across the hall Vic would be looking at it, Adam probably plastered to the wall of the room next to hers, licking the walls or something.

Maybe having dinner with those two _was_ a good idea.

Robert had that shower in record time, before putting on his clean pair of jeans and fresh floral print shirt, throwing on a casual blazer which he had put into his rucksack despite Vic asking if he was packing to go to a garden party.

Hair tamed to perfection, he went right back out and into the lift again, making sure he’d be in the restaurant ready and waiting for Vic and that prat who was trying to romance her so hard.

Only…

He was passing through the foyer and from the vicinity of the check-in desk, came the sound of a voice, strained, tired and annoyed. A voice that Robert recognised and had his heart-aflutter within seconds.

Robert frowned. He wasn’t entirely happy with any sensation that could be confused with a heart condition.

Robert found himself a discreet spot against a pillar, from where he could see Aaron at the desk, a black rucksack dangling heavily from his hand, his small puffer jacket zipped up to his throat.

“Look, I’ll take a cleaning cupboard if you’ve got the space,” Aaron told the receptionist.

She looked sympathetic as she said, “I’m sorry, sir, but we’re at full capacity. I can try to get you a taxi to the nearest B&B…”

“Right, like you did for the five people before me. Not exactly helpful if that B&B is going to be full too, is it?” Aaron said. He sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose, before quietly adding, “Sorry. Not your fault.”

“Look...why don’t you give me ten minutes, and I’ll see if I can do anything for you,” the receptionist said. Robert arched a brow at her kindness, smiling a little. “There’s a bar and restaurant if you’d like to get a drink?”

Aaron sighed again, nodding. “Yeah. All right. I’ll...I’ll come back in ten minutes.”

Robert walked away from his spot, exchanging it for an identical pillar at the further end of the foyer, which Aaron would have to pass to get to the bar and restaurant.

“All right?” Robert said cheerily, startling Aaron as he walked past.

Aaron stopped, turning sharply to look at him. He seemed genuinely surprised. Even better, the surprise seemed aimed at Robert’s attire. Aaron’s eyes flicked up from hair to shoes and then at Robert’s face.

Robert smiled as he shoved his hands into his pockets, leaning against the pillar. “What you doing here?”

Aaron blinked, shaking his head. “Trains are being diverted. Someone said this was the nearest hotel. Probably be leaving soon though.”

Robert put on his most innocent expression. “What you gonna do that for?”

Aaron seemed to catch on far too quickly. Smiling, he said, “No rooms, are there?”

Robert shrugged. “So why don’t you just bunk with me?”

The smile turned into a grin as Aaron shook his head. Something seemed to flicker behind those blue eyes, danced across his eyebrows, across his brow as it furrowed and flattened. It seemed there was a whole conversation he was having Robert wasn’t a party to and how Robert wanted to eavesdrop.

“Don’t be so coy,” Robert said softly. It seemed to focus Aaron’s attention, his expression turning quiet and serene, thoughtful. “Not like I have to tell you I won’t bite. You already know. Don’t you?”

Aaron was frowning at him, but then his mouth twitched into a small smile and he said, “That line works does it?”

Robert smiled, shrugging. “Don’t know. Suppose I’ll find out in a sec. What do you say? Gonna let me be a hero and rescue you from the cold?”

Aaron grinned, shaking his head again. It was a reaction Robert was beginning to crave a little. Sighing, Aaron said, “Yeah. Alright. If you’ll have me.”

Robert grinned, big and bright. “’Course I’ll have ya.”


	7. Chapter 7

The lift was filled with an odd silence as they rode up to the third floor. They both stood leaning side by side against the same wall, seeing each other and their own reflections in the mirrored wall opposite. There was something glittering darkly in Aaron’s gaze, or maybe it was just the lighting in the lift, making him so…

“What?” Aaron asked with a frown, his voice sounding scratchy in his throat.

Robert smiled at Aaron’s reflection and answered, “Nothing.”

Aaron gave Robert a nod, not looking entirely convinced, amusement toying with at corner of his mouth. Robert continued on quietly with compiling his mental list of things he wanted to do to Aaron this second in this lift.

Luckily...

The lift came to a stop and the doors slid back with a soft ding. Robert tilted his head at Aaron, an invitation to follow, and walked on ahead. Outside his room, he unlocked and pushed the door open for Aaron to go through, following him inside and shutting the door behind them.

Robert leaned back against the door and watched as Aaron walked into the large bedroom, coming to a stop in the middle and casting an eye on his surroundings before his gaze landed on Robert. When their eyes met, it was almost a surprise not to hear something clicking into place.

He looked mildly surprised once his observations were finished, finding Robert quietly watching him. Aaron straightened up a little, jutting out his chin, fingers tightening their hold where they held onto his black rucksack. He was an enigma was Aaron, standing there so hard when Robert had already felt him be so pliable.

Robert pushed away from the door, moving towards Aaron and closing the gap between them in a few short strides. Aaron made no move at all, remaining rooted to the spot, eyes on Robert. It almost felt like Aaron was coiled to strike, rather than anything much more enjoyable.

Robert slowly reached for the rucksack in Aaron’s hold and pulled at the handle in his tight grip. Aaron’s hand tightened for a moment, before his fingers loosened and the bag was in Robert’s possession, Aaron’s questioning gaze locked on Robert’s face.

Robert looked down at the not too heavy bag before putting it aside on a nearby armchair. Now he could attend to Aaron properly. He turned back to face Aaron, placing his hands flat on Aaron’s chest, smoothing his hands down the puffer jacket which was cool under his palms. The metal of the zipper was even colder to the touch when he pulled it down, opening up the layers of black on black.

Robert glanced back up to catch Aaron’s gaze flicking down to Robert’s mouth and back to his eyes again. Though Robert was no real reader of men and women, he thought he saw a spark of heat aimed at him. Robert smiled, leaning in to press his lips to Aaron’s.

Aaron kissed him, but not in that responsive way he had kissed Robert back in Hotten, hungry and wanting. This was more stilted and Robert thought he felt a shiver run through Aaron. Robert brought up a hand to cup Aaron’s jaw, finding his skin a little cool to the touch. When he took Aaron’s hand in his, it too was cold.

Robert frowned at him, “What did you do? Roll around in the snow? You’re freezing.”

Aaron shrugged. “Bus stop is a thirty minute walk from here.”

“And you walked it? Why didn’t you get a taxi right from the station, you idiot?” Robert asked. Aaron’s face morphed into an instant scowl, which Robert ignored, slipping his arms around Aaron and pulling him in tight. “Come here.”

Aaron was stiff in Robert’s hold. He probably still felt frozen. Robert smoothed his hands up and down Aaron’s back, partly to get that blood flowing so they could head to the naked part of the evening faster, and partly because Aaron’s solid presence in Robert’s arms wasn’t the worst feeling in the world. Even if Aaron _was_ fully clothed and tensed like a cat about to pounce and shred someone’s face, it felt good.

After a moment Aaron quietly asked, “What are you doing?”

“Warming you up,” Robert told him, shifting to press a kiss to the side of Aaron’s neck. Aaron’s frame seemed to lose a little of its tension. “That okay with you?”

Aaron didn’t say anything, but Robert felt the slight nod of his head and then felt Aaron’s arms slowly rising, hands tentatively settling on Robert’s back, fingers curling against the fabric of his blazer. Robert gave Aaron a little squeeze, swaying their bodies to that that flood flowing, before he finally pulled back.

He saw that Aaron’s cheeks now had an altogether different tinge of pink. Smiling and satisfied, Robert smoothed his hands up and down Aaron’s arms, before grasping him at the forearms and bringing him closer.

“Okay?” Robert asked.

Aaron nodded, chewing on the inside of the corner of his lip. Robert wondered what he was biting back on, not that Robert was a reader of men or women of course, not at all. Instead Robert concentrated on how the blues of Aaron’s seemed to have turned candle-wax soft. Robert looked down, reaching for Aaron’s left hand, cradling it in his, rubbing a thumb over fading ink.

Looking up at Aaron, he quietly asked, “How about a proper kiss then?”

Aaron’s mouth twitched into a small smile and he answered by stepping forward into the space between them and brushing a kiss against Robert’s lips.

**~**

Comparatively speaking, it wasn’t until now that it seemed the day had just dragged, and now the night seemed to be speeding along out of Robert’s greedy grasp.

He had kissed warmth back into Aaron’s skin, whilst helping him out of his too few layers. As Aaron’s fingers warmed up, so Robert’s own layers disappeared, both of them leaving a trail of clothes on the way to the bathroom.

Robert broke away from Aaron to turn the shower on, but his eyes and smile remained turned on Aaron, holding him in place. He was back almost immediately, pulling Aaron close, aroused bodies pressed delightfully tight against each other, each kiss a little more breathless than the last.

Robert somehow still found the mental capacity to reach past Aaron to check the heat of the shower spray. _Perfect_. Grinning against Aaron’s lips he inched them both slowly in the direction of the cascading water, until I was all around them.

Aaron gasped into Robert’s mouth with surprise when the water hit, until he was grinning too, eyes glittering with excitement. Running water seemed to stop time, locking them tightly into a moment untouched by everything outside the generously sized shower cubicle.

There was so much Robert wanted to do, so much greed he felt for Aaron’s body, but both seemed to fall into a simple rhythm against each other, chasing friction, Robert encouraging Aaron’s leg to wrap around his thigh, where he held it in an ironclad grip, pulling it to bring Aaron closer, to keep him close.

Of course, it wasn’t close enough. Robert shoved forward hard, Aaron’s back hitting the wall, his head tipping back. He looked dazed, eyes sparkling, mouth open and panting. Robert’s hips seemed to speed up all of their own accord, his mind locked on Aaron’s pink lips, gasping and making a shape that looked like Robert’s name

Robert covered Aaron’s mouth, dove his tongue into it and kissed Aaron deep enough to make himself dizzy. Aaron made a noise somewhere deep in his chest, his arms tightening around Robert’s neck.

Robert pulled back, just for a glance of Aaron’s face, before diving back in for another kiss. He moved on from Aaron’s mouth to taste Aaron’s wet skin, nipping at his stubbled jaw, sucking at neck. All the while he was thrusting against Aaron, his cock finding friction against Aaron’s body, slipping and sliding until Robert was bucking and coming.

That could have been enough. He could have taken a moment to sink into the soft daze of satisfaction, but greed was buzzing under his skin at the feel of Aaron who was still hard against him, his muscles quivering, his chest heaving.

Robert reached down between their bodies, taking a hold of Aaron’s cock, watching as Aaron’s eyes drifted half shut and his face turned towards Robert’s arm which was just above Aaron’s shoulder, Robert’s palm flat against the tiled wall.

Robert leaned in for a kiss, the water spraying down on their faces, trying to take part in their kisses, lucky if it could find even the smallest space between them. Robert kissed Aaron soft and slow, deep and dirty, his hand working Aaron’s cock until Aaron’s mouth could only pant around the kisses being offered up.

“Aaron,” Robert murmured, trailing his mouth away from Aaron’s lips to his earlobe, nosing his hair. His eyes drifted shut as he smiled somewhat blissfully, whispering, “ _Aaron_.”

“ _Oh god_.” Aaron came with a strangled cry, convulsing, his fingernails digging into the skin of Robert’s shoulders.

Robert wanted to say something flippant, about how he could get used to being a god, but another thought rudely cut him off, telling him it was something else entirely he could get used to.

 _This,_ Robert thought as Aaron’s bright heated gaze shifted, sliding and clicking with Robert’s, blue and black, with rings of brightness from soft bathroom lights reflected in his eyes.

He looked as dazed as Robert felt.

They stood there together, hanging onto each other, Aaron breathing hard, held up by the wall, and a little by Robert’s weight against him, all the heat and hardness replaced by warmth and something soft that was tugging deep inside in Robert.

 _Something_ that had been tugging deep inside Robert from the very first moment he had laid eyes on Aaron.

The corner of Aaron’s mouth flicked up, just a momentary twitch casting the illusion of a smile that lasted long enough for Robert to feel just a little smug. Aaron tipping his chin up, offering a long leisurely kiss, not as heated as their other ones, but soft and sated.

Robert smiled at him when they broke apart, murmuring, “If you’re all warmed up, why don’t I call room service?”

Aaron offered up a small smile of aloof amusement. “Well...can’t stay in here all night, can we?”

Robert pretended to think about it, shrugging. “It’d be a challenge, but then...nothing good ever comes easy. Does it?”

Aaron grinned brightly at that, shaking his head. Robert couldn’t help but grin too as he stepped away from Aaron, pushing his hair back under the water and letting the spray run over him for a few seconds, Aaron watching him the whole time, the soft humour in his eyes turning quick to undisguised sharp hunger.

He certainly knew how to make a guy felt wanted.

Robert looked Aaron up and down, burning into his brain the image of Aaron leaning against the tiles, spray from the shower catching him, droplets of water hanging from his lashes, water-wet mouth kissed deep pink, chest flushed, cock spent.

He certainly knew how to make a guy want.

**~**

Telling Aaron to take his time in the shower, Robert dried off quickly in the bedroom, throwing on a pair of boxers. He picked up the discarded items of clothing on the floor and split them into his and Aaron’s, neatly hanging them over the backs of two armchairs.

With the room looking a little more orderly, Robert plonked himself down on the bed and proceeded to order posh burgers and chips with beer, delighting in the price tags. Adam had shelled out to impress Victoria; there was no reason not to be impressed too.

Robert was putting the phone down just as Aaron walked out of the bathroom tying the belt of the fluffy soft grey bathrobe supplied by the hotel. Robert took in the sight of him and grinned.

“Shut up,” Aaron said with a smile.

“I didn’t say a word,” Robert protested.

“It’s not what you said.” Aaron walked around the bed to take up a spot on the other side. “It’s whatever you were thinking of saying.”

Robert watched Aaron with open amusement as he picked up the remote control from the bedside table and clicked the TV to life. Teasing Aaron, Robert said, “Didn’t know you could read my mind.”

“Not that hard to read a one track mind, is it?” Aaron retorted, looking from the TV to Robert with a pleased little smirk.

Robert eyed Aaron sitting there, legs stretched out, crossed at the ankles, the toes of one foot idly curling in and out for a moment. He couldn’t help but lean towards Aaron, hand slipping into the opening of Aaron’s bathrobe, stroking his hand up and down the outside of Aaron’s thigh as Aaron sat watching him with a concentrated gaze.

“You don’t have a problem with that track though, do you?” Robert asked.

Looking amused, Aaron shook his head in answer. Robert smiled as he tilted his head and pressed a small kiss against Aaron’s mouth, before retreating back to his side of the bed and getting up.

Aaron watched him quietly for a few seconds, before pointing the remote at the TV and flipping through the channels as Robert fished out his phone from his jacket pocket and sat back down, this time stretching his legs out before him.

“Burgers and chips do ya?”

“Bowl of cornflakes’ll do me, mate,” Aaron said. “Starving.”

“Know what you mean,” Robert muttered, looking through his messages. There was one from Vic asking if he was sure he wouldn’t join her and Adam for dinner.

He sent back a simple message: _**thanks, but knackered, going 2 sleep**_

Vic sent back him a smiley face. Robert smiled at it and moved to checking his emails, particularly anything to do with the Whites. Radio silence. Maybe they had moved their efforts elsewhere since Robert had arrived in England. Maybe Donny was currently hanging Connor upside down over a bridge somewhere. People were such morons.

Not that it mattered.

Aaron had found a movie and a perfect one at that. Robert sighed, sitting back and blinking in the direction of the TV. As good as the movie was, it took about ten minutes for Robert to find the energy to tell Aaron, “Good choice.”

“How would you know? You’ve got your eyes closed,” Aaron said, sounding fond enough that Robert had to look at him.

They became locked in each other’s gazes for a moment. His mind heavy with the need for sleep convinced him that if he reached into the space between himself and Aaron, he might feel the air crackle with electricity.

Keeping that nugget of introspection to himself, Robert said, “Why do they always ruin it by making a third movie?”

Aaron frowned before answering with a shrug, “Because usually the sequel is better than the first, and it makes them think the third one will be better than the sequel, but they’re wrong, because, you know, Terminator.”

Robert grimaced. “Yeah, it’s best you just don’t think about that. I just pretend they stopped at the second one.”

Aaron was frowning hard now. “What are you talking about? They _did_ stop at the second one.”

Robert grinned, getting a grin in return, one that animated Aaron’s whole face. Aaron turned his attention back to the TV screen, Robert keeping his eyes on Aaron’s profile for a moment, letting his gaze meander from forehead to chin and back up again, until the song of satisfaction and exhaustion in his muscles made his eyelids begin to close.

The temperature in the room was perfectly warm too, the mattress just soft enough, and at his side Aaron was sending out waves of contentment that were washing over Robert and threatening to lull him to sleep. If it hadn’t been the knock at the door, signalling the arrival of room service, Robert may have just nose-dived right into Aaron’s lap.

Robert received the food at the door, wheeling in the trolley and setting up their dinner on the bed. They both ate and watched the movie, laughing and joking all the way through, their elbows colliding every now and then.

It all felt so good for something so banal, so... _normal._ Robert wasn’t really a fan of normal. He never really envisioned things like a home and a family. Being engaged to Chrissie had never been about settling down. It had been about moving up. About opportunity.

Here he was this bloke he barely knew, and he was wondering about what it would be like to do this tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that. Here he was thinking that _this_ could be enough with the right person, couldn’t it? Just being with the right someone could be enough.

Robert scowled at the chips on his plate; since when had _just_ _being_ with someone ever been enough? Since when had the idea of enough even been attractive? Wasn’t life about the fast lane, excitement, excess, and purpose? _Just being_ had a definite ring of purposelessness to it.

Next to him, Aaron smacked him on the arm with the back of his hand, pointing out to ‘look’. Robert looked, but at Aaron, the grimace on his face as he watched the TV and the way he then looked at Robert to see his reaction, catching Robert out staring.

“What?” Aaron asked.

“You said to look,” Robert said with a shrug.

Aaron rolled his eyes, but it was good-natured as evident from the slight smile. “Yeah, well, I meant the telly, didn’t I?”

“So you did,” Robert said with a smile, putting aside his plate. He nodded towards Aaron’s plate. Not a single crumb was left behind. “Good?”

Aaron nodded, quietly telling Robert, “Yeah. Thanks. For all of this. You didn’t have to.”

“Right,” Robert said with a long sigh. “Because I had so many plans for the best destination spot in the world. _Lansdale_.”

Aaron looked down at the plate in his lap, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, eyes sparkling away. It seemed like a good time to kiss him. Robert leaned forward and did just that, licking at the taste of salt and alcohol, reveling in the way Aaron breathed out and moved into the kiss, his hand covering Robert’s.

When Robert pulled back, Aaron looked flush, wearing a strange pensive look on his face. Whatever that was about, it would be fun digging up the ground beneath it at some point.

“Gonna get rid of the rubbish,” Robert said, angling his head in the direction of the trolley. “ _I’ll be back_.”

He had said the words doing his best Jack Sugden impression, severe and serious farmer-like. Aaron just stared at him, before letting out a laugh and then closing his eyes. When that wasn’t enough he covered his eyes all together with a quiet and disbelieving utterance of, “Wow.”

“What?” Robert said with a laugh. “That’s what he says, innit?”

Aaron shook his head, looking terribly disappointed. “Not sure if I fancy you anymore.”

Robert made a disbelieving sound, getting up and clearing away plates, napkins and beer bottles. They both shared mischievous grins with each other when Robert came back to bed and sank down against his pillows. Hooking one arm behind his head, his other hand resting on his contented belly, Robert glanced at Aaron who was somewhere between sitting and lying down, warm against Robert’s side.

They watched the movie in comfortable silence, the food, the beer, the warmth eventually lulling Robert to sleep. He awoke once to feel the weight of Aaron’s head on his arm. Robert groggily peered down at the top of Aaron’s head, shifting under him, both of them having sunk down on the bed and lying flat now.

Aaron stirred, waking and mumbling, “What?”

“It’s alright,” Robert said quietly. “Go back to sleep. I’m just going to turn the lights off.”

Aaron let out a sigh, mumbling something in his semi-sleep state, his eyes still closed as he rolled over onto his side, burying his face into his pillow and presenting his back to Robert. Robert scowled in Aaron’s direction, blearily watching him fall back to sleep.

Switching off the lights and the TV before the heavy cloud of sleepiness could completely dissipate and leave him wide awake in the dark, Robert lay back down with a sigh of his own, turning his head to sleepily blink in Aaron’s direction.

For all its warmth, the air was laced with just a little cool, and Robert knew the morning would present a fresh blanket of snow. But, he considered, being snowed in wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Buried treasure was likely to stay buried for another day and there was still plenty to explore right next to him.


	8. Chapter 8

Someone was singing a made up song about a place called Eldorado.

The air smelled like smoke and fire burning through wood and hay.

Robert followed the singing, running through the forest and shouting out, “Victoria! Victoria!”

Flames licked up towards a full round moon that was bright white and following him as he ran.

Someone tackled him to the ground, winding him. Robert tried to fight, push away the pressure at his throat. But he was choking.

There was laughter above him, the moon shining a bright halo around the head of his attacker.

“Robert!” Vic sing-songed from faraway. She laughed, singing, “Ride, boldly ride!”

“Get off,” Robert said breathlessly, watching smoke fill the sky, watching fire turn the moon red. “Get off!”

~

Robert awoke with a start, gasping loudly.

Mouth hanging open, he lay in bed just blinking into the darkness, heart hammering away, breathing still laboured. He blinked a few times, eyes adjusting to the blue-tinged dark with the barest of moonlight sneaking into the room, causing strange illuminations.

Taking a moment to catch up with his memories, Robert lay there still and silent, before finally looking to the side and seeing Aaron slowly shifting under the covers.

Aaron muttered something in his sleep, something that sounded like a question. Robert let out a sigh, quietly apologising. “Sorry. Cramp.”

“It’s okay,” Aaron said sleepily.

Robert stiffly rolled towards, feeling leaden and tired. Aaron, still shifting, ended up pressed up against Robert. Without really thinking, Robert slipped an arm over Aaron’s waist, relishing the feel of a body to hold onto.

Robert would miss this when it was all over, because inevitably, it _would_ be over. Things like this had a shelf-life. And _this_ , this definitely had a use by date on it. They weren’t crossing paths like this because it was fated, or even coincidence. No, they were crossing paths because it was planned.

Didn’t mean Robert couldn’t enjoy it though.

Aaron shifted with a sigh. Robert thought of letting him go until he realised Aaron had shifted even closer, his body soft and pliant against Robert. Robert clamped his mouth shut against a sudden onslaught of questions he was dying to ask. But now was not the time. Why ruin a good thing before its time?

He closed his eyes, as if those questions would disappear, curtained off on the other side of a window. Dropping his chin onto Aaron’s shoulder, he tried to find a way back to sleep, seeking something calming in the presence next to him. Only, Aaron’s breathing had shifted just a little.

Robert opened his eyes, frowning. He shifted his face a little, letting the corner of his mouth press against the side of Aaron’s jaw, his cheek moving against the scratch of Aaron’s stubble.

Aaron tensed, his whole body pressing flush against Robert. Quietly, he whispered, “Robert...”

Robert waited. His name hung heavy in the dark, sounding like the beginning of a midnight confession. Only then Aaron was craning his neck back and Robert’s lips were on him even before he registered that Aaron was seeking him out for a kiss.

Just like that a spark was lit, quicker than an ember setting off parched kindling.

It was an awkward angle, with Aaron half twisted back, but Robert kept him in place, snaking one arm beneath his neck, his hand smoothing up Aaron’s throat. Aaron made a small noise deep in his throat as Robert ended one kiss and started another, licking into Aaron’s parted mouth.

Only moments ago Robert had been coasting the blurry edge of sleeping/waking and now he was impossibly awake and alert, every nerve-ending singing with excitement. He tugged and pulled at Aaron’s bathrobe until it was off one arm and over his shoulder, one layer of fabric between them gone.

He would have loved to taken the time to kiss every inch of Aaron’s skin, but right now his greed was of another kind as his hand closed around Aaron’s cock. Aaron let out a needy gasp, tearing his mouth away from Robert’s, his head thrashing forward.

Robert guided him right back into another searing kiss, one hand holding Aaron in place, the other working Aaron’s cock hard and fast until he came with a shudder and pained moan. Robert _had_ to kiss Aaron again, hearing him trying to get his breath back, his body shaking against Robert.

Robert’s mind snapped back to The Woolpack, to the moment he looked up from his soaked shirt to a pair of laughing eyes. That moment lasted the smallest part of a second, but in it Robert had craved Aaron deep. In that tiny tiny moment, he had looked at Aaron and...well, wanted to keep on looking.

Robert slid his hand up from Aaron’s throat to cup his cheek as they kissed, moving his other hand to Aaron’s quivering belly, fingers moving through the splatter of come. Robert was hard and he could have come just from the feel of Aaron pressed against him.

God, even the sound of his breath stuttering when he came had nearly done it for Robert. The sticky slide of his fingers against Aaron’s stomach made him think he wouldn’t even have enough time to get his boxers off, his hips jerking at the replay of mere moments ago.

But it just so happened, Robert wouldn’t have to worry about the logistics of coming, as Aaron was rolling towards him and pressing a firm kiss to his mouth. A demanding kiss later, Robert was shoved onto his back, Aaron climbing on top and tearing his own bathrobe off the one arm Robert hadn’t been able to free.

Bathrobe out of the way, Aaron descended for another kiss, this one hard enough that Robert thought his head might push back all the way through the pillows and the mattress itself.

Their lips parted noisily and Aaron, with his wrecked voice, told Robert, “My turn.”

Robert grinned. “Don’t you mean my turn?”

“I know what I mean.”

Robert closed his eyes. Those were words worth remembering on a cold night in an empty bed.

Aaron slotted his fingers into Robert’s and held his hands against the pillows. Robert laughed, offering no resistance, letting Aaron have all the control he wanted. Aaron used it to kiss Robert slow and sweet, taking his time to taste, Robert rolling his body up against Aaron, fingers curling from the sizzle of anticipation…

Aaron pulled away and Robert breathlessly chased his mouth for another kiss, only to be denied, Aaron teasing him with light touches of his lips, and gentle undulations of his hips, which sent flares of new scenarios lighting up Robert’s mind.

Robert let out a frustrated moan, his head pressed back against the pillows and Aaron moved his attention from Robert’s mouth to his throat, tasting and sucking a trail to his collarbone. Sweet relief came when Aaron moved his attention lower, letting go of one of his hands so he could palm Robert through his boxers.

At the same time, his mouth closed over Robert’s nipple, biting down lightly, before sucking hard. Robert took in a deep breath which felt like it may never get released, his free hand uselessly pawing at the sheets until he remembered he could touch Aaron, cupping the back of his hot and damp neck, his hold tightening the next time Aaron used his teeth to toy with Robert.

He let out an embarrassingly needy noise, a keening at the back of his throat. It seemed to light a fire under Aaron who let go of Robert’s other hand so he could concentrate fully on wetly kissing a trail further down to Robert’s waistband.

This was no leisurely detour, because Aaron was soon after roughly yanking down Robert’s boxers, getting them down over his hips and just down his thighs, enough to free his cock, which Aaron took into his mouth without ceremony or warning.

Though Robert knew it was coming, the sudden presence of Aaron’s lips, the heat of his mouth, it felt like the air had been punched out of his chest, leaving him a sprawled mess under Aaron’s ministration. But his greedy greedy mind caught up quick, his hips thrusting into wet hot ecstasy.

Aaron made a sound of surprise, but did nothing to move Robert’s hand when it settled on the back of his head, keeping him in place, keeping him exactly where Robert needed him.

When Robert couldn’t help himself and his hips thrusted to fill Aaron’s throat as far he could go, Aaron made a strange small sound, as if he was the one having his brains sucked out of his dick. It was enough to send Robert over the edge, giving him no time to tell Aaron he was going to come.

Whilst Robert came, his mind whiting out for a moment, shooting his body somewhere high above him for a minute, somewhere in the distance Aaron was silent and then coughing, before finally flopping over one of Robert’s legs, Aaron’s cheek pressing against his hip.

Robert felt as if he drifted back to himself eons later, coasting on the serene silence of his mind for a while. Aaron was lying there against him, lumpen and quiet. He seemed as reluctant to move as Robert, but Robert wanted him closer, so he reached down and prodded his head with spaghetti weak fingers until Aaron stirred.

“Hey. Come here,” Robert said quietly.

Aaron could see even in the dark the sparkle of Aaron’s eyes as he blinked at Robert’s hand before sluggishly following it all the way to the top of the bed where he lay his head on Robert’s outstretched arm.

Robert grinned at him, lifting his arm to pull Aaron closer. There seemed to be a pleased tilted smile on Aaron’s face which Robert couldn’t resist kissing, his tongue licking into Aaron’s mouth and getting a taste of himself.

It sent a little thrill through the core of him, and from the sound Aaron had made, and the way he had pressed up against Robert just that little bit firmer, told Robert that he wasn’t alone in feeling stirred by what he and Aaron were sharing.

“We should probably clean up a bit,” Robert murmured, breaking their kiss, but keeping Aaron close. Aaron blinked lazily, offering a tiny nod of agreement. Robert grinned at Aaron’s blissed out state, telling him, “Go on then.”

Aaron smiled, his voice sounding rusty when he said, “Let go then.”

Robert let out a dramatic sigh, straightening out his arm, not that Aaron immediately left. He rolled away slow and boneless, giving Robert an undecipherable look over his shoulder as he stood up. As soon as he had turned his head, Robert leaned far enough to give Aaron a parting smack on the bottom.

Aaron looked back, letting out a laugh and warning Robert with a single, “ _Oi_. Watch it.”

“Thought that was what I was doing,” Robert said with a grin, pleased with himself.

He fell back against the pillows, watching Aaron shaking his head as he disappeared into the bathroom. Robert lay they staring at the unclosed door and the yellow light making the doorway look like some kind of portal into the unknown, listening to the sound of running water.

It all felt so...normal. Not that Robert had ever done normal. The opposite in fact. Pleasure was meant to come from what they had been doing in bed, not the knowledge that Aaron would come back to him in a moment, and Robert could fall asleep with him close by.

Yet... there was definitely something warm blooming in his chest precisely at the thought of Aaron climbing back into bed, wearing a very particular smile that was part mischief and part something else.

Aaron returned, leaving the light on in the bathroom for Robert. Robert got up and met him halfway to the bathroom, where they both stopped to share a small kiss, just a press of lips to lips, Robert’s hand on Aaron’s waist and Aaron’s fingers stroking his forearm.

Robert pulled back, swallowing a creeping realisation down into the pit of his stomach. He gave Aaron a smile that felt shaky on his face, joking, “Minty.”

Aaron rolled his eyes and grinned, smacking Robert lightly on the arm before crawling onto the bed, flopping down on his stomach. Robert took a deep breath at the view, at the thoughts it inspired, and quickly told the brain between his legs that it better pipe down unless it wanted to fall off.

It didn’t help at all that when he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror he looked thoroughly fucked, his hair having lost all composure and his cheeks flushed pink, and the tell-tale redness of his skin where Aaron’s mouth had been, and where his stubble had dragged. Robert eyed himself, shaking his head and blowing out a breath.

 _Camdeighl_ , he reminded himself. _Treasure._

Robert stepped out of the bathroom, his hand still hovering over the light-switch by the door. Aaron was on the far side of the bed, curled up under the duvet, under quite _a lot_ of the duvet, his shoulder sticking out the top, indicating he’d put his t-shirt back on.

Robert looked at the paltry amount of duvet left for him as he switched off the bathroom light and made his way back in the dark, picking up the corner of the duvet and slipping under.

“Oi, stop hogging all the covers,” Robert said, slipping behind Aaron.

He slid his hand up under Aaron’s t-shirt, laying his palm flat against his belly, somehow resisting the temptation to slip under the waistband of his boxers and start something anew.

Aaron was either already asleep or just quiet. For a moment Robert wondered if he had crossed some sort of boundary, lying there with Aaron as if they had been doing this for lifetimes. But then Aaron’s hand covered Robert’s, and his body seemed to shift fractionally closer.

The sound of his quiet had shifted into a calm contentment, one that easily soothed Robert to sleep.

**~**

Robert awoke before 7am without prompting, turning off his alarm before it had a chance to wake Aaron who was curled up on his side, sleeping silently but for the odd nose whistle.

Robert sat up, leaning against the headboard and blearily looked down at Aaron’s sleeping form in the early morning light creeping in from between the curtains. Robert’s hands itched to touch him, to rouse him from his sleep so they could wrap themselves around each other. But he didn’t.

Instead, he slipped out of bed. Aaron was still sleeping, looking wiped out. It seemed like a good time to rifle through his belongings. Aaron seemed too good to be true, so either he wasn’t good, or he wasn’t true.

Either way, Robert wasn’t a mug.

Sadly, a rifle through Aaron’s belongings made him no less an enigma.

His rucksack had a change of sweater, t-shirt, underwear and socks. He also had a small tub of hair gel and a deodorant can. There was a phone charger amongst his belongings and a pair of headphones, but little else. It was all a little too economical.

In his jacket pocket was a phone, drained of battery. His wallet had a small wad of cash and a debit card made out to one Aaron Livesy.

_Livesy._

It seemed familiar in a very distant sort of way, but not enough to ring any alarm bells. Robert spotted what looked like Aaron’s driving license, but Aaron Livesy the man himself was beginning to stir and Robert quickly stepped away from Aaron’s belongings, making a beeline for the bed.

He landed next to Aaron, propping himself up on an elbow and watching as Aaron slowly turned his head and blinked blearily at Robert. Robert smiled at him. “You all right?”

Aaron scowled grumpily, but nodded all the same, slowly turning onto his back. His answer was a croak. “Yeah.”

Robert knew Aaron had to be feeling tired, if his own body was anything to go by. What they both needed was a lie in. However, Camdeighl was waiting for one of them.

“Mind if I use the shower first?” Robert said. Aaron, sleepy-soft, just shook his head. Robert appraised him for a moment, considering his next move, and then decided on a smile and quick exit to the bathroom.

He made quick work of showering, emerging out of the steamy bathroom ten minutes later. Aaron was sitting up in bed and glaring at the TV, eyes on a man reporting from the side of a snow-covered road.

Robert started to dress, eyes on Aaron as he slipped on his clothes, then sitting on the foot of the bed to put on his socks and boots. Dressed and ready, he hung up his blazer, shirt and good jeans from the night before, wanting only the essentials for the day.

“You off then?” Aaron asked. Robert turned to see Aaron watching him, looking far to intense for someone who had a rather nice smile when he used it.

“Got a few things to do. People to meet,” Robert said.

Aaron nodded, his face saying he was disinterested, his eyes an entirely different story.

“I should be back here by tonight though. Why don’t you stick around? We could have dinner. Maybe more.”

Aaron had an apprehensive look about him. Robert didn’t prod him, he just waited. Aaron looked away, biting his bottom lip, before looking back at Robert. “You have to go, do ya?”

Robert walked around the bed to sit down on the edge close to Aaron. Smiling, he said, “Yeah. But I already can’t wait to get back.”

Aaron offered up a small smile. “Must be important if you’re going in this weather.”

“Just something I need to do,” Robert said.

Aaron nodded, mouth clamped shut, before he said, “Where you off to then?”

“Not far from here. Near Camdeighl,” Robert said. “You know it?”

Aaron nodded. “Yeah. I know it. It’s mostly forest and field, innit?”

“Well...I did say near,” Robert said, watching Aaron closely. “I do like a good forest though.”

They were both watching each other closely now. It seemed that even the notion of a secret between them was fast disappearing.

“Well, the weather’s good for it,” Aaron finally said, mouth twitching a little.

Robert grinned. “Why don’t you come with me then?”

“Nah,” Aaron said, turning his nose up at the invitation. “You’re alright.

“Let me guess. Not really your type of thing, eh?” Robert said. Aaron didn’t reply, his eyes boring holes into Robert’s face. “You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re worried about me. You know, with all the snow and that.”

Aaron scrunched up his whole face, but the mischief was missing from his eyes as he said, “You can think what you like, mate.”

“Yeah?” Robert said.

Aaron smiled, letting out a huffy sound. Robert swiftly moved forward and pressed his lips to Aaron’s. Reaching out to stroke the side of Aaron's face, he parted his mouth inviting Aaron in closer, deeper. Aaron’s hand floated up to Robert’s arm, fingers lightly curling in Robert’s sweater.

Robert pulled back slowly and reluctantly, looking at Aaron. “You gonna be here when I get back?”

Aaron shrugged.

Robert nodded, taking a deep breath as he got up. Standing by the bed he looked down at Aaron. “Well, it’s not like I don’t have your number. Eh?”

Aaron looked amused, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smile, but Robert’s question went unanswered.

“Better get moving then,” Robert said as he picked up his jacket and put it on before grabbing his rucksack. “Order up some breakfast if you’re hungry, yeah?”

Aaron nodded, offering a parting smile as Robert moved towards the door. He was almost near the door when Aaron spoke, his voice quiet and tentative. “Robert?”

Robert turned to look at him. Aaron’s expression was masked and still, but there was something in his eyes that touched Robert square in the chest. Something that felt good, felt somewhat true. 

Robert waited. “What?”

Aaron gave him a nod and said, “I’ll see you later, yeah?”

Robert smiled, nodding back. “See you later.”


	9. Chapter 9

After a small detour to the bar, just to pick up some celebratory booze to pour at the spot of new discoveries, Robert headed to the restaurant, as per instruction of Vic’s text. Of course, she wasn’t there. It was Adam Robert found digging into his food at a small table by a large window, outside of which everything looked snow white as far as the eye could see.

“Nice digs. Someone clearly has a few pennies saved,” Robert said, dropping his rucksack on the floor and taking a seat.

Adam grinned around a piece of toast. “It’s my pleasure, mate, my pleasure.”

Robert narrowed his eyes at Adam. He’d deal that with _that_ remark later. A smiling waitress appeared and took Robert’s quick order of coffee and fried breakfast.

While he waited, Robert looked across at the mostly empty restaurant and then back out of the window, pointing at the outside. “This going to be a problem?”

Adam shrugged, absolutely unconcerned. “Dunno. Find out when he hit the road. Anyway, it’s not a long drive. We’ve got plenty of time to get up there, scream our heads off, and then be back by evening.”

Robert grinned. “Did ya? Scream that is. Bet you did.”

“Yeah yeah,” Adam said, nodding. “You have a good laugh, mate. Wait until you get up there and you see what I...see...”

Robert frowned at Adam who was sitting there with fork raised to mouth, dripping egg failing to meet his lips. Robert followed his gaze, turning his head, and immediately rolled his eyes. Vic had turned up, rucksack in one hand, her coat in the other. She was wearing black knee-high boots, black jeans, and a black top under a short black jacket.

Her hair looked _fantastic_ , actually.

It made Robert wish he’d spent a little longer on his own, but considering they were going to a flipping forest in the middle of nowhere he’d left it presentable. Vic on the other hand was walking towards them with her tresses in waves, bouncing around her face and on her shoulders.

“Hey,” Adam said, sounding a little winded as he got up, waiting for Vic to sit down. She smiled at him, her cheeks pinking just a little. “You look...um, your hair looks...different.”

Vic made a strange jerky movement with her shoulder, pointing to her shiny hair. “Oh. I just didn’t feel like wearing it up.”

Vic turned her head to look at Robert who was just looking at her as he shook his head. She gave him one of her ‘just shut up’ looks and ordered breakfast, whilst Adam sat there trying not to stare at her and failing. It was a miracle he didn't choke on his breakfast.

They spent about forty minutes eating breakfast whilst Robert watched the restaurant filling up, the cars beginning to move on the other side of the window, and briefly thought of Aaron upstairs in bed.

It was unbelievable that he’d had the audacity to look disappointed at Robert having to leave. Though Robert would be lying if that didn’t spark a little something inside Robert.

Adam, done with his ogling, suggested they move on, which Robert was glad to do. The sooner the day started, the quicker it finished. Treasure hunting was fairly simple. You turned up. You found the spot you were looking for. If something looked shiny, you pocketed it and you walked away, leaving someone else to hoover up the dust.

“Imagine what we could find,” Vic said, clasping both her hands to her chest. _That_ looked like bad news. Maybe the day wasn’t going to be over quickly after all.

“Right. You know this is just, like...a scouting mission,” Robert said carefully. “We’re gonna check this place out. If there’s something there, we take a few pictures. Call a news outlet or something, and then...someone else can do the dirty work.”

Vic nodded at him, smiling. “Right. And if we find a cartoonishly big pile of gold?”

“Then me and my best mate Adam here are going to fill up our rucksacks and start planning some holidays.”

Adam, not a complete betrayer of men, laughed. Vic glared at them both. Before Robert could placate her, Adam held up a hand and said, “Look, we’re just messing about. You poke around at anything you want, yeah? We’ll wait.”

“Yeah we will,” Robert snorted.

Adam gave Robert a look. “Yeah. We _will_.”

Adam Barton. Total betrayer of men.

~

Outside was a snowy disaster, everything covered in white. It looked like some poor sods had already been up salting and shovelling to allow people in and out of the grounds. Their little car needed a mound of snow knocking off before they could get in, Adam sitting inside running the engine for a bit.

“Did you actually blow-dry your hair?” Robert said, scowling down at Vic. “Vic. I’m pretty sure he’d be into you if you had _no_ hair.”

Vic glanced at the car as if she had no idea that Adam was in it. Oh no, she didn’t even _know_ Adam. Was he really a fit bloke who she’d been eyeing up since they met? No, not Victoria Sugden. Robert just shook his head until the innocent look on her face disappeared.

“You don’t know what it’s like,” she complained. “I mean look at you. Back in the country five minutes and getting off with some bloke in Hotten. And if you run out of blokes, you just go find yourself the nearest cougar-”

Robert sighed, long and loud. “ _Okay_.”

Vic rolled her eyes, before giving him one of her ‘keep your trap shut’ glares and getting in the car and the passenger seat next to Adam. Robert made himself comfortable as best as he could in the back seat of the car, fully intending to sleep for as much of the journey as possible.

“Right, buckle up,” Adam said, not sounding nearly as flippant as that remark should have have sounded. “We should be good to go in a sec.”

“Can’t wait,” Robert said flatly, eyeing the hotel whilst feeling just a little sad about leaving.

**~**

The drive to Camdeighl went exactly as expected: _dull_ as dishwater.

Adam wittered on for a bit about god knows what, whilst Robert sat in the back, eyes closed and brain coasting between waking and sleeping. Of course, then Vic had to laugh loudly at something that was undoubtedly unfunny and woke Robert up.

Vic was chattering away and Adam was doing an admirable job of sounding interested. Robert narrowed his eyes at the back of Adam’s headrest, shaking his head. Pillock.

“So how’d you end up with that little map box anyway?” Robert interrupted the chatter.

There was surprised silence for a few seconds before Adam opened his gob again. “Yeah, wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Well, I _am_ asking,” Robert said with a roll of his eyes. “That would indicate that, yeah, I’d like to know.”

“Alright alright. He always like this in the morning?” Adam asked Vic.

She didn’t say anything. In fact, it looked as if she smiled because defending her brother would have been a little too much to ask. Robert aimed his angry early morning glare in her direction too just for the sake of it.

“So, basically, right, me and my mate, we’ve got this little business clearing houses-”

“Rubbish collection,” Robert said with a smirk. Vic looked back from her seat, glaring. Robert smiled at her and said, “He means rubbish collection.”

“You wanna hear this or not?” Adam asked.

Robert grinned as Vic continued to glare, which made her look about ten years old. Looking at Adam, she said, “Just ignore him.”

Adam did, continuing, “So we have this house clearing gig, yeah? It’s pretty much what you’d expect. Carting away stuff someone wants rid of. Sometimes you get the odd old boy or girl that passed away and left their house to a relative, filled with like _years_ of clutter.”

Vic pointed at him. “And map boxes.”

“And map boxes,” Adam said, glancing at Vic with a big smile. “So, my mate, he’s got a good eye for stuff like that box. Even better, he’s got a few contacts happy to take stuff like that off our hands. We’ve made a good bit of cash through them.”

Robert thought back to the email exchanges for their little trinket. “So...you were trying to sell this off to one of his contacts?”

“Chance’d be a fine thing. He says his contacts don’t want their name being spread about, so it’s all a bit hush hush. Anyway, about a year ago, he bought this container in an auction lot. I was proper mad. All the money we made on these old ugly candlesticks and he blew them on a box of rubbish.”

“What, without knowing what was inside?” Vic asked.

“Pretty much,” Adam said. “Only, this bloke calls up out of the blue asking questions about the container. Said he was after some Word War II memorabilia and if he could he have a look. We’re like, alright, sure, as long as you offer us a fair price for what you’re interested in. He comes over, has a look. Turns his nose up at everything except this rusty old knife. My mate’s like, ‘oh so you’re not interested in that biscuit tin of badges then?’. I mean, they weren’t worth much, like twenty quid a piece maybe, but this bloke just wanted to know about the knife.”

“Did he say why?” Robert asked.

“Said he knew a collector who might be interested. Anyway, my mate didn’t like the look of him and we told him it wasn’t for sale. But he left a business card anyway,” Adam said. “Said if I changed my mind he knew some people who’d be interested in offering a good price.”

“And _that’s_ who you got in touch which when you decided to sell your little map box,” Robert said. “Also, this bloke totally identified the weak link in _your_ partnership.”

“Oh shut up, Robert,” Vic said. With a little more softness, she asked Adam. “Why did you want to sell it? When you know where this goes. What it could mean?”

“What _does_ it mean?” Adam said. “It’s a map to a dead place that might have something to do with a bunch of dead people. You know, the world might be a better place if people cared more about the living.”

Robert eyed Vic’s profile carefully. Her face had gone all soft and sad. Robert blinked hard, making his eyeballs hurt inside their sockets. 

“ _What_ do you know about the previous owner?” Robert asked, getting the conversation back on track.

“Some old bloke, died years ago. There was some dispute over his property, the Carnahan Estate. Place had been gathering dust for ages,” Adam said. “By the time we got to it, anything that was actually worth a fortune was already gone. They just needed us to take away the boxes of papers and odds and ends in his attic and his little library study, whatever it was.”

Vic glanced back to look at Robert, smiling, before turning her attention to Adam again. For a second he felt yanked back into the past, at the receiving end of some strange story his mum had plucked out of nowhere, Vic listening with glee, glancing between him and their mum. Robert smiled, watching her. Even if she was besotted with an absolute muppet.

“So, one of these boxes,” Adam said, “it was filled with newspapers, magazines, books with cuttings in them, notebooks with loads of writing, photographs, some other old books. Right at the bottom of all this gubbins I find this little package wrapped up in a newspaper from 1999. May 4th 1999 to be exact. Easy date to remember.”

"Why? Is that you're birthday?" Vic asked.

"It's Star Wars day," Robert supplied.

"Sorry?" Vic asked, scrunching up her face in confusion. 

"You know. May the fourth, as in the _force_? Come on, you've seen Star Wars, right?" Adam said.

Vic made a face, like someone had just let one off in the car. She held her hand up at Adam and said, "Suddenly... not so attractive anymore."

"Anymore, eh?" Adam said, voice lowered. He had that daft smile of his back on his face. "Have I ruined my chances?"

"I'm seriously going to throw myself out of this ridiculous car in a second," Robert announced.

Vic was smiling, ignoring Robert's piteous state. She nodded at Adam. “So...did you get a look at any of those notebooks?”

“Not at first. I just kind of ignored them. But then I found the map box and had another look. It wasn’t just random papers. The notebooks had sketches I thought they were of the map box I found. But they weren’t. They were sketches of loads of different boxes like the one I found.”

Vic looked at Robert, and he stared back at her, asking the same question. Were there more of these out there? And if yes, where did _they_ go?

“There was one diary which had loads of sketches of _our_ box. Notes on the engravings. Stuff written in different languages,” Adam said. “There was also...a map. Just like the one in the box. Only, it was a map with the name Camdeighl on it.”

“Someone was piecing it all together,” Vic said. “Redrawing the map.”

“Yeah. One night, when I was fiddling around with the box, it popped open and out came the old map, and I remembered that diary. Remembered _that_ map,” Adam said.

“Wow,” Vic said, sounding wowed.

“What did you do?” Robert asked.

“Told my mate. He thought we’d get a good price from the kind of people who might be interested in what I found,” Adam said. “Don’t think he really believed it went anywhere though.”

“But you wanted to see where it went,” Vic said. There was a little smile on her face, somewhere between awe and approval. 

“I just...I just wanted to get out of this rut,” Adam said quietly. “And my best mate couldn’t even back me up. Like, so what if it was a fake? Big deal, man. We could have just gone, just to get away from...you know, normality.” 

“So you decided to go up there by yourself then, did you?” Vic asked. 

“My head was just all over the place. I wanted to show him I didn’t need him,” Adam said, his tone regretful. “Being an idiot.”

“What happened?” Vic asked.

“Went up there, didn’t I?” Adam said. “Thought it would be a bit of a laugh. Might find some old coins, wave them in me mate’s face. Wasn’t like that at all.”

Adam went quiet. So much so that the car seemed to be filled with an uncomfortable silence despite the various sounds of travel. 

“What _was_ it like?” Robert asked, for once, his curiosity peaked beyond just treasure. In the rear view mirror, Adam’s eyes blinked with a nervous energy. “Come on, it’s obvious you like a good yarn.”

Adam snorted, letting out a laugh. “Yeah, well, this is more of a horror story, _which_ by the way, is why I’m willing to turn back whenever you two are ready.”

“Nope,” Vic and Robert said in unison. 

Adam snorted. “Alright. Told everyone I was just visiting a friend for the weekend. Got the train up here, hired a car, and then hiked the rest of the way. It was okay mostly. It was summer, nice. Then, I got to Camdeighl.”

Robert noted a slight tremor when Adam spoke that name _Camdeighl_. He frowned, smiling a little. People always got so caught up in the ghost stories, expecting re-animated mummies, curses, intricate booby traps. The truth was always duller.

What you actually found under every myth was just dirt and the remains of forgotten times and places, fractured pieces of how people lived once upon a time ago. Nothing magical at all. The past was mostly a mundane and dark place, best left to rest really. 

Treasure though. Treasure definitely had a place in the present. 

“Go on,” Vic coaxed. 

Adam hesitated for a moment. “It was weird. Like, one minute I was walking across this field up towards the woodlands and it felt like...I dunno, like the ground was breathing.”

“Leave off.” Robert laughed.

“Robert!” Vic turned her head to stare at him.

“You’re not falling for this, are you?” Robert said, nodding towards Adam. “Vic, I’ve spent the last ten years digging up history, and I can tell you, there’s not a lot of movement happening down there.”

“Forget it,” Adam said.

“No,” Vic said, reaching out to stroke his arm. _Jesus_. “Ignore my brother. He’s got the sensitivity of a lead pipe.”

“Look, I know it sounds crazy,” Adam said, “but, it freaked me out, okay? When I stepped into that forest. It was...I’m tellin’ ya, there’s more life in a graveyard.”

“Well, what were you expecting? Dancin’ trees?” Robert asked.

“Robert, how about you not say anything unless you’re _not_ planning on being sarcastic,” Vic suggested.

“But there’s so much scope,” Robert complained.

“And already,” Vic said with her put-upon tone. She returned her attention to the big scaredy cat she had a crush on. “So this forest, it was dead creepy.”

“Creepy doesn’t really cover it,” Adam said. “Anyway, I realised I didn’t exactly know what to look for. All the map did was point to Camdeighl and say, look there it is. But then I got the map box out and...well, I knew what to look for.”

“What?” Robert asked, leaning forward.

“Oh, now he’s interested,” Vic said.

“Shut up, of course I am,” Robert said. “Adam. What was it?”

“The map box,” Adam said. “It shows the way.”

Robert sat back with a grin, pointing in Vic’s direction. “It’s covered in engravings, and I only took about a million photographs of them. You know we probably could have come up here by ourselves and found the place.”

“Tell you what, mate, when we get there, I’ll let you have a crack at it, yeah?” Adam said.

“Right. I look forward to who fares better out of bloke who does rubbish collections for dead people’s homes and bloke who digs dead people up for a living,” Robert said with a snort, phone in hand, fingers already sliding across the photographs of the map box. 

“You’re on, mate,” Adam said with a laugh. “You’re on.”

Robert grinned, continuing to swipe. It would have been good to have gotten a few shots of the map, but hey, as long as there was treasure on the horizon, he could live with a burned artifact here and there. 

“Or, you know, we could all just work together,” Vic said. “I mean, if we find-”

“Please don’t say the C word,” Robert said.

“ _Something_ , then, well, that’s us in the history books, isn’t it?” Vic said. 

“What? Me too?” Adam asked.

“Yeah, of course. You’re helping us, aren’t you?” Vic said, and it was in the softest and sweetest tone of voice Robert had ever heard her speak in, and the future was beginning to look bleak because it looked like a glorified bin man had made it into his sister’s heart. 

Robert pulled a face, keeping his eyes resolutely fixed on his phone...which vibrated in his hand, telling him he had _**1 new message**_.

He opened it to read, _**Ur missing a comfy bed**_

Robert grinned at the message. Vic and Adam’s chatter had dissolved into the distance, leaving only this message from Aaron. It was jarring, the thrill and heat that passed through Robert. Aaron may as well have been sitting here in the car with him, leaning up against him, whispering those very words to him. 

_**It’s not the bed I’m missing ;)**_

That message was what Robert would have whispered back, against Aaron’s slightly parted lips awaiting a kiss. He would have drawn him closer, so close there was no way Aaron’s hand wouldn’t slip from the car seat, making him fall forward, flush against Robert, held in the tight circle of his arms. 

_**What u missing then?** _

Damn it, Robert thought with a sigh. He sunk back into a sprawl, as much as possible in what felt like a car the size of a child’s toy, his gaze lowered on the screen of his phone. If only Aaron was here, possibly between the sprawl of Robert’s legs. The thought sent a bolt of arousal all the way down the core of him. 

Smiling, Robert tapped onto the screen, _**Breakfast in bed**_.

Aaron was probably reading that and rolling his eyes. Or maybe he laughed. He had this laugh, small and subtle that came with just a flash of teeth. It took years off him, and after Robert had seen it once, it just seemed sad that Aaron didn’t smile more. _More than what?_ He hardly knew the guy. He knew nothing about Aaron, except for those things he had added up for himself.

_**There’s definitely enough here for u to eat** _

Robert felt as though someone had thrust him close to a furnace his face warmed up so fast. He looked up in Vic and Adam’s direction where Adam was talking about some teenage prank gone wrong and Vic was listening as if it was a David Attenborough special. 

_**That right?**_ Robert tapped back, and if his hands shook a little, well, that was understandable. 

_**Yeah ordered a huge breakfast** _

Robert shook his head in dismissal. _You started it_ , _Aaron,_ Robert thought, firmly typing out, _**Sounds good but would rather get my mouth on something else**_

It took a while. Robert wondered how long Aaron looked at the text. Did his cheeks flush pink? Did he get that sparkling wide-eyed look of want? Robert had memorised it. If he closed his eyes, he could see it right there, sky blue gaze seeing right into the heart of him. 

_**What’s that then?** _

_**You - all of you**_ , Robert immediately typed back. And god there was so much more he wanted to say, but to Aaron, in his ear, into his skin. This time the wait was even longer. _What are you thinking about, Aaron?_

_**Not polite to rile someone up when you can’t take care of it** _

Robert smiled. _**How about I rile you up and you take care of it?**_ _ **You can send me a**_ _ **photo**_ _ **if you like**_

The suggestion made Robert’s skin tingle with heat. God, the thought of Aaron even on his own, even without Robert there. That was...new. As the lack of response stretched for minutes, Robert’s mind ran at a hundred miles an hour, his mind tripping over itself in conjuring up that hotel room, that bed, Aaron there... _ **1 new message**_. Finally.

There was an attachment. _Jesus_. 

Robert’s thumb hovered over the message. He could wait, make it worth his while. But something about Aaron, about every interaction they’d had, made Robert’s atoms keen _now_. He pressed down firm, as if he was pushing his thumb into Aaron’s skin. It took seconds, but the wait was like an eternity. The photo finally emerged, filling his screen. Robert let out a silent laugh that turned into a grin. 

Aaron looked young in the picture, somewhere between teen and terror, wearing too a big t-shirt and tracksuit. He had a bright and wide grin, crouching on a road, his hand on the back of a huge Alsatian that was placidly sitting next to him, the dog’s tongue happily hanging out. It struck Robert that there was a happy spark in this Aaron which seemed somewhat lost or dimmed in the Aaron he knew. 

The follow up message felt smug, and made Robert smile. _**How’s that?**_

_**Who’s ur friend?** _

_**Clyde**_ , came the reply, _**he’s not around anymore**_

Robert brushed his thumb across the smiling kid in the picture. _**Looks like a good dog.**_ _ **K**_ _ **id looks like a bit of a scally tho**_

 _ **Shut up**_ , the reply was instant and it cascaded relief through Robert, brushing away tension he hadn’t even realised he’d been feeling. 

_**I really hope I’m gonna see you when I get back** , _Robert sent, nerves fluttering their delicate wings inside his chest.

 _ **Do ya?** _Aaron asked

Robert nodded. **_Yeah. I do_**

A long pause followed, filled up with the sound of Vic and Adam still nattering on. Then Robert’s phone vibrated, and down popped he notification of a new text.

_**Suppose I’ll be seeing you soon then** _

Robert grinned. It looked as though even if there were no riches at the end of this trail, he could still find himself some treasure.


	10. Chapter 10

**C A M D E I G H L**

Camdeighl appeared in the form of white letters on a green sign as they continued to make their way up a snowy stretch of motorway, before taking a turning that sent them on a snaking country lane that climbed upwards in the shadow of tall overhanging trees. 

The car seemed too quiet. Robert could feel the anticipation coming off Vic in waves. Next to her, Adam was a tense quiet, his good-natured chatter having faded to quiet.

Their journey down the country lane ended when Adam pulled into a narrow laybay. Beyond the driver’s side of the car was a view of the tree-lined lane, a gap appearing up ahead where set of gates were open. 

“Well, here we are,” Adam said, sounding just a little nervous. Though, when he turned to look at Vic, he had a smile on his face. “You ready then?”

Vic smiled, nodding back eagerly. “So ready.”

“Me too, thanks for asking,” Robert said with a nod. 

Adam laughed the comment off, Vic looking all pinked and embarrassed. Hopefully that would all wear off the second Adam ran off screaming at the shadow of a spider’s web. 

They got out of the car, Adam heading for the back and telling them, “Right, let’s make it quick, yeah? Before someone sees us all hanging around the boot of a car.”

“We’re not doing anything wrong. We’re just some people out for a hike and oh my god why do you have guns in your boot?” Vic said. 

“I’m a farmer,” Adam said with a shrug. Robert gave him a look. Adam gave him a harder one in return. “There is something in them woods, and I’m not going in there armed with a librarian and a bloke with a big gob.”

Vic looked at Robert. Robert shrugged. “It’s a point I can’t argue with.”

“Look,” Adam told Vic, “I said I’d bring you here, and I have. But if you got hurt-”

“I won’t,” Vic told him softly.

“I couldn’t live with myself,” Adam finished. Robert saw the way Vic’s eyes widened, mouth falling a little open in surprise. Robert had to give it to Adam, he was using that earnest shtick pretty good. Vic was standing there transfixed. 

Robert sighed. “So...we moving or what?”

Adam and Vic snapped out of their little trance. Adam gave Robert a decidedly unfriendly look before picking up Robert’s rucksack and shoving it at him. Vic’s he picked up with a little more care, and handed it to her, receiving a smile. 

“Um...here, you should have this,” Adam said as he unzipped his coat and reached inside, pulling out a small weathered leather-bound journal. He held it up and said, “One of the diaries from the Carnahan estate. It was with the map box.”

“Adam,” Vic said, sounding breathless as she stared at the journal. 

Adam shrugged. “Thought it might be more useful to you.”

Vic shook her head, grinning at the journal and then at Adam. “I...I’ll give it back to ya.”

Adam shrugged. “Or not. I think it’s probably worth more to someone like you.”

Robert thought were it not for the cold, Vic might have melted like candle-wax and trickled away at that remark. Adam handed her the journal, Robert inching closer to get a look, catching the letters J.C embossed on the front cover. 

Slinging his rucksack over his shoulder, Adam picked up a slim shotgun and decisively slammed the boot of the car shut. Looking at Vic and Robert, he said, “This way.”

He strode off across the lane and towards the gate, shoulders squared and a determined look on his face, Robert and Vic both watching him. 

Robert shook his head. “Flipping heck. I think I might fancy him a little.”

As if she hadn’t heard a word Robert said, Vic drifted off after Adam. Robert scowled in their direction, deciding none of his ill-gotten gains were going to either of the pair, before following them towards the gate and to the other side.

**~**

They trudged on together in silence, snow crunching under their boots. The wide snow-covered field that stretched towards the horizon, stopping in front of a tall wall of woodland trees. 

Something about the looming woodland said, don’t you come up here. Robert grinned in its direction and thought very loudly, stop me if you can.

“That there,” Adam said nodding towards the trees, “that’s Camdeighl. The real Camdeighl. Carnahan’s box was full of maps that showed how this area’s changed, how the lines have been re-drawn over the years. Camdeighl’s gotten bigger, but once it was everything on the other side of that forest.”

“Over the mountains of the moon, down the valley of the shadow,” Vic said with a grin. 

“Ride, boldly ride,” Robert said, grinning back.

Adam shook his head. “You're both as tapped as each other.”

Robert grinned at Vic, grabbing her hand. “Ignore him, sis. There’s a golden hoard with our names written on it.”

“Our names is it?” Vic said.

“Of course,” Robert said with a shrug. He nodded in Adam’s direction. “I’ll even throw him a diamond if you want.”

Vic smacked him in the arm with the journal she was unlikely to let go of anytime soon, but her grin was brighter than the snow.

**~**

It took around half an hour to get to the other side of the field, an uphill walk that had Robert sweating under his jacket despite the cold. Vic was lagging just a little behind him, a serious look on her face, and off to her right Adam seemed to be purposely walking at her speed, casting an eye in her direction every now and then. 

“You’re quiet,” Robert said. “Not like you.”

He noted that both Adam and Vic looked in his direction, giving away the fact that something was up, and it was up with both of them. 

“What is it?” Robert asked. “Come on, you’re making nervous here.”

Adam was shaking his head, Vic looking at him. She prodded. “What?”

Adam scowled. “It’s not like last time.”

“How d’you mean?” Robert asked. 

Adam stopped, taking a deep breath, the air around his mouth misting. He looked back at the tracks they’d left in the snow. “Last time, I felt something in me gut. Like the place was...like it was pulling at me. Like it was-”

“Moving under you…” Vic said.

Adam blinked at her. Nodding slowly he asked, “I never told you that.”

“I thought...I thought I felt something,” Vic said, frowning. She looked from Adam to Robert. 

“What about you?” Adam asked Robert.

Robert shook his head. “Nothing. You both trying to mess with me?”

He didn’t really need them to answer. They both looked deadly serious. Robert looked at Vic, knowing the right thing to do was to ask her if she wanted to turn around. 

“Well come on then,” Vic said with a firm nod, stomping on ahead. “Let’s go find out what this is all about.”

Robert stared as she walked off. He turned to look at Adam who was also staring, but he had a look of wonder on his face, a smile slowly spreading. Adam looked at Robert, catching his scowl. 

Slapping Robert on the arm he said, “You heard what she said.”

Adam jogged after Vic, falling into step with her whilst Robert stood there trying, scowling, tuning into his sense for something more than what he could see. 

The wind blew cold in his face, sharp on his skin, slapping him back to reality. Robert continued walking. 

As the woodlands approached, so the shadows of the trees began to fall over Adam, Vic and Robert, bringing down the temperature a little further, darkening the white of the snow. 

Robert told himself it was a coincidence that once the snow-covered field gave way to woodland, a cold harsh wind rushed at the three of them. 

“This is it,” Adam said. “This is Camdeighl.”

**~**

The woods were dense, so much so that snow hadn’t quite penetrated beyond the tree tops, leaving some of the ground visible, some of it dusted. 

And quiet, Robert thought. The woods were quiet. No birdsong. No rustling of leaves. They sounded nothing like a forest should have sounded. If anything made Robert just a little afraid, it was probably a forest that didn’t sound like one.

They walked on for a bit, Adam leading, before he came to a stop, caution written across his face. He nodded to Robert. “You want to figure out the way from here then?”

Robert glanced up at the tree tops, before looking at Adam. “You what?”

“Thought you said you could figure it out,” Adam said, eyes still glancing at their surroundings. 

“Nah, you’re alright, mate,” Robert said. “No point wasting time if you already know.”

“How did you find the way though?” Vic asked Adam. 

“Told you. The map box showed me,” Adam said, he was peering at a tree. Robert watched him brush his hand across a mark that wasn’t very old, carved into the trunk. “Come on, this way.”

Vic put a hand on Adam’s arm, shaking her head. “I think I can find the way.”

“What? How?” Robert asked. Vic stuck her hand into her pocket and pulled out the map box, holding it up for them to see.

Adam stared at her, shaking his head. “I thought you didn’t have it on you. You’re both as bad as each other.”

Vic gave him a sheepish look. “Sorry. I didn’t want you two arguing over this when there’s better things to be thinking about.”

“Can’t believe you didn’t tell me you had it,” Robert said, reaching for the map box. 

Vic stepped back, snatching it out of Robert’s reach. Sticking the journal in her coat pocket, she placed the box on the palm of her hand. Robert watched her brow furrow with concentration as he slowly turned on the spot. She came to a sudden stop. Robert could see why. The box had jumped forward, Vic quickly catching it. 

She looked back at Robert. “I’ve been feeling something pulling at it since we stepped foot into the forest.”

She let the box drop. It never touched the ground. The little segments that had flipped up to form a crown, now bent all the way back turning the map box into a metal star that flew away from them, Adam, Vic and Robert giving chase.

“This is why I must have felt so edgy coming up here!” Vic shouted at them as they ran. “It’s got to be because the box was on me.”

“And I had it last time,” Adam said, effortlessly jumping a fallen long while yapping away. “Explains why I was feeling nowt coming up here!”

“There’s probably something about the metal, about this place. I dunno, like some sort of magnetic properties or the like-”

“Can we talk about this when we’re not running after a medieval paperweight!” Robert snapped at them.

The medieval paperweight in question came to a sudden stop when it hit a large stone that looked like a giant jagged tooth jutting out of the uneven ground. 

There were markings on the stone, but obscured by moss and dirt and the ravages of time. 

Vic stepped up to the stone, feeling around the space where it was wedged in by it’s sharp opened up segments. Light twinkled around the embedded parts of the box and it seemed the small slit went all the way through the stone. 

Like something might have cut right through it once. 

Ignoring that thought, Robert reached out to clear away the dirt on the body of the stone, along with moss. 

Stepping back he saw how the markings now joined up to form the shape of dragon. There were letters underneath it, too faded to read. Visible enough to hazard a guess though.

“Pen something. Pen under…a dragon.” Vic was nodding, biting her bottom lip. She swiftly turned towards Adam. “What did you do next?”

Adam nodded at the rock. “I took the map box out. That’s when things got-”

Vic nodded, before swiftly turning around and pulling on the map box. It was wedged in tight, so she pulled with enough force to send her falling backwards when it came out, straight into Adam’s arms. 

“Feels like a really strong magnet,” Vic said, righting herself and peering at the box, completely unaware of Adam staring at her.

“Are you mad? I was telling you what happened when I pulled that thing out.”

Robert snorted. “Overreacting much?”

A whistling wind shook the trees. Robert looked up in surprise, moving towards Vic and Adam, the three of them closing in together as they watched the forest. 

The ground was shifting. No, not shifting. It looked like it was breathing, rising up, out and down again, undulating like incoming waves towards the shore. Between the ground and the wailing sound of the wind, it felt as if the forest had awakened and was somewhat annoyed. 

Adam was nodding. “I’m not the only one seeing that, right?”

“No,” Robert said. “That...that is definitely happening.”

“Right, calm down,” Vic said, not sounding that calm. “There could be a perfectly good reason for that, like...like poor drainage. Maybe…maybe there’s a lot of water under there and-”

The forest shook with the sound of thunder. The three of them looked up towards the sky, listening to roll after roll, the sound almost like a beast-like roar. When it stopped, the forest was dead still again, and the air had turned frosty.

Vic looked at them both. “You know, someone’s gone to a lot of trouble trying to put people off from going any further.”

“Yeah, someone who can control the ground and the sky. I think it’s working brilliantly,” Adam said. He nodded to Robert. “Don’t pretend you didn’t just wet yourself a little.”

“Treasure can buy new trousers,” Robert said, patting Adam on the shoulder. “What now? Please tell me you saw more than this.”

“Plenty more, mate.” Adam looked at his watch, looking past the stone and into the trees. “We’re early though, by about twenty minutes.”

“What happens in twenty minutes?” Robert asked. 

“Don’t worry,” Adam said, looking off into the woodland. “You’ll see.”

They spent the next twenty minutes in their own individual manner of loitering. Adam paced, holding his shotgun and looking way too trigger happy. Vic sat perched on a log, paging through the journal Adam had given her, looking engrossed. Robert took up a spot on a stump, leaning in close to try and get a look at the pages.

Vic noticed, looking up and blinking at him. He shrugged. “What? It’s not your secret diary.”

Rolling her eyes, she shifted over and made space on the log. Robert eagerly sat down next to her, looking at the journal in her hands. 

“What have you got?” he asked.

“Looks like good old J.C. here started up this journal in 1958,” Vic said. “It’s all about Yorkshire myths, stories about Camdeighl. And then...here, the map box.”

Vic showed Robert pages of sketches that mapped every plane of the box, followed by the map inside redrawn over and over with notes littered around every aspect. 

“That’s nothing,” Adam said. “There were loads of these diaries. One was just drawings of different kinds of map boxes.”

Vic and Robert stared at him and then at each other. More than one map box implied more than one map, and more than one treasure trail. Robert got up and said, “What happened to these diaries?”

“Still have a few of them,” Adam said with a shrug. “Most of the stuff, my mate couldn’t wait to get rid of. What? Why are you both looking at me like you just found a kebab shop after a night on the lash?”

“Adam. More map box sketches means more map boxes,” Vic said, getting up and stuffing the journal back into her pocket.

“I know what it means,” Adam said with a nod. “Just not as excited as you two. You know you’re not normal, yeah?”

“We do,” Vic said with a nod. Robert agreed. “It’s not escaped our attention.”

Adam looked at his watch, snorting. “As long as you know. Here, come on. Light’s shifting. It’s time.”

Robert frowned at Vic, before they both looked up into the sky. The light was shifting still, the shadows in the forest changing. 

“Three. Two. One,” Adam said. 

He looked at the stone.

It didn’t become apparent what was happening until sunlight seemed to hit the slot in the stone. They all moved to look at the other side, and there projecting into the distance was a laser sharp beam of sunlight. 

“Come on,” Adam said, “This way.”

They followed the beam of light down a path that Robert noticed was not exactly untouched. “Looks like we’re not the first ones to have gotten this far.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Vic said, her eyes darting from one part of the path to another.

“Yeah, well, they obviously only had a one way trip,” Adam said.

“Why d’you say that?” Vic asked.

Adam shrugged. “Think about it. If they’d gotten here and gotten back out, this place would have made the news. But no. All anyone knows about this place is that there are stories, that you don’t wander off this way late at night.”

“Wait,” Vic said. She turned around to look at the winding path they’d taken. The stone was out of sight, but the beam of light was continuing on, as if bending with the path. 

“Okay,” Robert said. “Definite mucking around with the laws of physics. I don’t think I’m comfortable with that.”

“Yeah, well, if you don’t like that, you won’t like what’s up ahead,” Adam said.

Up ahead was on the other side of overgrown shrubbery. It just seemed like more forest. Robert looked at Adam, “I don’t get it.”

“Wait,” Adam said. “Any second now.”

Even as Adam stopped speaking, the forest shimmered, as sunlight was breaking apart and dancing in front of them until…

A ruin came into view, twined with nature, covered in moss and vines, trees and mud, partially hidden in the ground, partially above ground, a castle that looked like a man reaching out of quicksand. 

Robert slowly walked forwards taking in the scene. It seemed to have been there the whole time. He just hadn’t been able to see it.

“Oh my god. Is that it?” Vic asked breathlessly. “Is that-”

“Camelot?”

Robert spun around at the sound of the familiar voice, murmuring when he saw who had spoken. “Chrissie.”

**~**

Standing across the path that had brought them this far where three people. There was a man he knew, one with a rugged look about him and a permanently sour disposition, dressed like some low-rent villain in suit and long coat, trousers looking damp where snow had melted into the fabric. He had a shotgun aimed at them. Next to Robert, Adam had his shotgun aimed right back. 

Next to the gunman was a brunette, Chrissie, her hair tied back with just a little bit of fashionable height on top. She was wrapped up in a black jacket, jeans and boots, hands in pockets and a rucksack on her back which was probably more expensive than useful.

Next to her was a blonde woman Robert knew too well, blue eyes gleaming like her grin. She looked entirely too fashionable to be warm, unless the short fur jacket with blue jeans and boots was actually keeping out the cold. 

Smiling at Vic, the blonde said, “You don’t really think you’ve found Camelot do you? You do. It’s quite sweet actually. Don’t you think, Chrissie?”

“Thank you, Rebecca,” Chrissie said, her eyes fixed on Robert. “Hello Robert.”

Robert smiled tightly at her. “Chrissie. Becs. See you brought Donny along for the ride. The evil sisters and their dancing monkey. Anyone else?”

“Just me.” Just me was an older gent, dressed as if he was on a pheasant shoot, giving Robert a decidely contemptuous look whilst pointing a handgun right at him

“Laurence,” Robert greeted him. “Should have known daddy dearest would come along. I take it you’re doing much better.”

Laurence sneered, “Now that you’re out of my daughter’s life, yes, much.”

“Robert?” Vic said, eyeing the way Donny and Adam were pointing their shotguns right at each other’s heads. “What the hell is going on?”

“Allow me to explain,” Chrissie said, walking towards Vic, guns staying trained on their current targets. “You see, Donny here was able to track down a rather remarkable find in your neck of the woods. I wouldn’t ordinarily be interested, but Robert appears to have incredibly romantic notions of what might lie hidden across mysterious Yorkshire. And, well, I don’t want him to have even a small piece of it. Let alone anything as grand as...a lost kingdom.”

Robert glared at her. He’d let his guard down once. He’d divulged something personal once. And here she was, throwing it in his face. He snorted, shaking his head. 

Chrissie stopped in front of Vic and was now eyeing the map box. Vic tipped her chin up at Chrissie. “So, what now then? You’re going to put us all in a bunch of shallow graves, are ya?”

Chrissie looked disgusted by the suggestion. “Of course not. I’m not a common criminal. What I’m going to do is take back what belongs to me. What your brother orchestrated out of my hands.”

Chrissie plucked the map box from Vic’s hand and tossed it back where Rebecca caught it, the blonde winking in Robert’s direction as she did. 

“Oi!” Adam snapped. “That belongs to me. Which means it belongs to whoever I want to give it to.”

“You’ll get your payment,” Laurence said. “No need to get uppity.”

“You what?” Adam growled.

Vic stopped him. “It’s fine. It’s done its job. We found what we were looking for. I’m sure you’ll all agree this place is big enough for all of us to look around.”

“Of course,” Rebecca said with a smile. “Unlikely you’ll actually find anything, but...go right ahead. Free country.”

“What’s this?” Chrissie asked, plucking the journal from Vic’s pocket. 

“Give it back,” Vic snapped. 

“Ah,” Laurence warned, pointing the gun in Vic’s direction. “I think perhaps it’s better you leave it.”

“Vic,” Robert said. “Forget it.”

Chrissie smiled. “Yes. Best to leave this sort of thing to the professionals.”

“Yeah?” Adam said. “I think it’s best you jog on, because I’m willing to take me chances with one gun.”

Chrissie smirked at Adam, before walking past Robert, offering him an icy glare. Rebecca followed, offering her usual mixed-message of expressions that ended up spelling trouble. 

Donny stopped in front of Robert, dour-faced as ever. “Thank your boy Connor for me, will you? Very helpful. Knows when to strike a bargain.”

Robert rolled his eyes, watching them all walk off with smug smiles and designer rucksacks, Adam still with his shotgun trained on the lot of them. As soon as they were far away enough, both Vic and Adam turned in unison to glare at him. 

Robert shrugged. “What?”

Adam let out an exasperated sound, stalking off the watch the Whites. Vic grabbed Robert by the elbow and pulled him a little out of hearing distance. 

“We’ve got to get that diary back,” she all but hissed.

“Yeah, I know,” Robert said.

“No, Rob, you have no idea who it belongs to,” Vic said.

Robert raised a brow at her. “No idea who it belongs to despite it being part of the Carnahan estate and having the initials J.C. on the front cover?”

“Wait. You know?” Vic asked, looking shocked.

“Disgraced Egyptologist, Jonathan Carnahan, finder of disputable antiquities?” Robert said with a nod. “Yeah. Kind of figured it out back in the car while you were busy dribbling all over Adam.”

Vic’s mouth fell open. “If you knew why didn’t you say anything?”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” 

Vic snorted. “Because I thought it might be better off in a museum than on eBay.”

“Like, I know you two think you’re whispering,” Adam said from a few yards away, “But you’re not.”

Vic waved off the comment, telling Robert, “We need that diary.”

Robert shrugged. “I’ll steal it back.”

“You what?” Adam asked, making his way towards them.

“Adam’s right. How are you going to do that?” Vic said. “Chrissie can’t stand the sight of ya. She’s not going to let you anywhere near her.”

Adam stared at Vic. “That is not what I meant. What I meant was to maybe encourage him to stop stealing things for at least five minutes.”

“It’s not stealing,” Vic said shaking her head. “That diary belongs to you and we’re going to get it back. For you.”

Adam nodded. “You’re just…a tinier version of him.”

“That has be confusing for you,” Robert said as he made a face.

Adam looked at him. “You have no idea, mate. You really don’t.”

Vic gave Adam a series of encouraging pats on the arm, nodding at him. “Come on. Let’s go before they start filling their bags with whatever they can chisel off.”

Vic promptly walked off without waiting, Adam watching her leave carrying a rucksack on her back that was almost as big as her. Robert thought to make a remark but clapped Adam on the back instead and walked on to catch up with Vic, secure in the knowledge that Adam Barton was right behind them, locked and loaded if a little reluctant.


	11. Chapter 11

**C A M E L O T**

Robert was still finding it hard to believe they had found Carnahan’s Camelot. It wasn’t unheard of for old treasure hunters to lose their mind, spouting off about lost cities, curses and mummies. So Robert was telling himself, this was _just_ an old lost city.

A city that had magically appeared in front of them.

 _Magically_.

Madness, he thought, absolute madness.

He was seated on part of what used to be a wall, eyeing _Camelot_. The compound was large. Large enough that if Robert held up his hand, his finger and thumb apart, in the distance the Whites and Donny all looked about the size of a gummy bear as they stood surveying what wasn’t covered by foliage and sunken into the earth.

“It’s like everything’s grown up around the place to hide it,” Vic said, eyeing the long line of masonry that most likely hid a great hall under it.

She was right. The castle was like a raised gemstone in the clasp of a rocky ring inlaid with nature. The way vines and trees were twisted towards it, the way the earth climbed up the sides, it was as if something inside had exerted a powerful pull, tugging on everything around it as if it was a blanket.

“Not scared are ya?” Adam said, flicking Robert’s ear.

Robert swatted his hand away. “Shut up.”

“Where’s your ex then?” Adam asked.

“Looking for the front door, if I know her.” Robert looked in Vic’s direction. She was still eyeballing the structure, clearly turning something over in her head. “I’m going for a walk. Don’t go anywhere without me.”

“Uh, excuse me, no?” Vic grabbed him by his arm. “What do you mean, you’re going for a walk?”

“Thinking of sucking up to that lot, are ya?” Adam asked, giving Robert a narrow-eyed look of disapproval.

“Getting your diary back,” Robert told Vic.

“Robert-” Adam started.

“Do be careful, yeah?” Vic told Robert. Adam stared at her.

“’Course I will,” Robert said with a wink, dumping his rucksack with Vic and Adam, before jogging off towards the Whites and Donny.

Donny saw him first, greeting him and keeping him at distance from the others. “What do you want?”

“It’s the organ grinder, not the monkey,” Robert said.

Donny had his gun in hand, both hands squeezing tight around it. “You’ve got a big mouth, Merrick. You want to watch how you use it around me.”

“Donny,” Chrissie interrupted, walking towards them. In the distance, Lawrence looked like he was about to have a heart attack. A real one for once. “Why don’t you help Rebecca?”

“Chrissie-” Donny began to object.

“Donny. _Please,_ ” Chrissie said in her _that’s final_ tone, holding up a hand an closing her eyes to completely shut him down.

Robert grinned in Donny’s direction. “Of you go. Like a good little doggy.”

“Will you shut up?” Chrissie snapped at Robert. Donny and Robert exchanged glares and Donny skulked off towards Lawrence and Rebecca. Chrissie turned to Robert. “What?”

Robert shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Just...I just wanted to talk to you.”

Chrissie laughed, shaking her head. “You really are unbelievable. Still trying to charm and scheme. I thought you’d know by now that I’ve become rather immune to your particular skill set. Now if there’s nothing.”

She turned to walk off. Robert sighed. “I’m sorry.”

She stopped. It took a moment before she turned and eyed him with an ice cold look. “You’re sorry.”

“About Cairo,” Robert said. “About us. I’m sorry you got hurt.”

“What a wonderful way to phrase it. I _got_ hurt. Not _you_ hurt me,” Chrissie said.

Robert nodded in Donny’s direction. “Seem to have gotten over me fast enough.”

“Grow up,” Chrissie chided. “He’s here for business. Besides, even if Donny and I were back together, it’s none of your concern. And you can stuff your sorry. I didn’t believe it the first time, and I don’t know why you’d think I’ll believe it now.”

“Because I mean it,” Robert said. “Last time I was scared because I knew I’d screwed up, and I didn’t want it to be over. This time I know it’s over, and… I’m really sorry I hurt you.”

Chrissie was frowning and Robert could see the battle going on in her mind to believe him, or to know better. He wouldn’t have known what to advise her. He hadn’t expected that apology himself.

She shook her head. “I really wish I could believe you. But sometimes, I think you lie so well you convince even yourself.”

“We were good together,” Robert said told her. “That’s no lie, is it? We don’t have to be at each other’s throats. Maybe we can still work together.”

Chrissie rolled her eyes before flatly telling him, “You and your little motley crew are on your own, I’m afraid. _Our_ partnership is over. You put an end to that. And you can forget about getting the diary back too. Wasted apology I’m afraid.”

She turned to go, but Robert caught her by the arm and pulled her back. She looked on guard, glaring at him.

Shaking his head, Robert said, “I meant every word of that apology.”

He let go, Chrissie watching him with something for once wasn’t hate, anger or suspicion. It seemed about right though. It was probably the first time she’d seen him tell the truth.

**~**

“Oh no, what happened? Did you get rumbled? Never mind, mate. She’s obviously got your number,” Adam crowed as Robert approached,

Robert rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Where’s Vic?”

Adam angled his head in the vague direction behind him. Vic off in the distance, glaring at the ground and then at a stone ledge on top of something that extended into the ground. In a minute she was totally going to try and climb that thing.

“You know what, I think I might go over there, make nice,” Adam said. “I’ll start by telling them I know _exactly_ how they feel.”

Robert glared at Adam. Adam grinned, pleased with himself, and strode off laughing, patting Robert on the back as he went. Robert strolled off in Vic’s direction, in no real hurry. She was clearly onto something and the less legwork Robert had to do to get to his gold hoard the better.

Robert pulled out his phone, cradling it in his palm and poking it with his finger. The screen remained black. Frowning he poked it again. There was no way the charge was gone yet. Another poke. And another. Nothing.

He headed towards Vic, calling out as soon as she was in shouting range. “Can I borrow your phone?”

She looked up, making a little O with her mouth, eyes wide. “What for?”

“Just, gimme your phone,” Robert said, holding his hand out.

Vic sighed, rolling her eyes as she took her phone out and handed it to him. Robert took it. It was as dead as his phone.

Vic shrugged, “It started getting weird on the way up here. Now it’s completely gone.”

“And you’re not shocked or surprised because...” Robert said, narrowing his eyes at her.

Vic gave him a sheepish smile. “Adam might have mentioned that phones start acting weird up here. Soz.”

“Are you joking me?” Robert said, staring her.

“Who are you gonna call anyway?” Vic said. “You’ve only been back in the country like five minutes.”

“Vic. We’re up here with gun-toting morons in Yorkshire’s own flipping Brigadoon. Having a way to call for help might have been useful.”

Vic blinked at him, before her gaze shifted in Chrissie’s direction. “What kind of archaeology are you both exactly into to?”

“The bad kind,” Robert said, tossing Vic’s phone back. She fumbled her way to catching it before giving him a sour look, shoving the phone into her pocket.

“Will you stop being grumpy and give me a hand? Look, I found something,” Vic said pointing towards what looked like a raised platform covered in vines and earth, but was definitely the roof of some part of the partially buried castle.

Vic pointed at the platform, lifting one foot up. Robert got the message and gave her a leg up until she had climbed onto, Robert following with the help of some sturdy vines. Vic pulling hard at some foliage to get to something. Robert could see the glint of silver as the leaves cleared away and before long Vic was pulling out a shining silver disc lodged inside a frame. She held it up, pushing the disc until it swiveled. Parts of it were oxidized, but it still seemed workable.

“Looks like we’re not the first visitors here then,” Robert said, looking at Vic. “Question is, why haven’t we heard anything about whoever this belonged to?”

“Well,” Vic said, looking too filled with glee, “We can always follow in their footsteps and find out.”

She was angling her head at something behind her. Robert followed her until he saw that amongst the vines was a broken stone, and when the rest of the vines were pulled back they could see where the stone had come from; a square space beyond which there was nothing but darkness below. Robert looked up from the apparent way in seeing Vic grinning and spinning the disc.

By the time Adam came back, strolling into view like some big hero with that stupid grin on his face, Robert and Vic had put the disc into place, clearing the vines away, their ropes at the ready to descend into whatever lay below.

“Any luck?” Vic asked.

Adam climbed onto the plinth with the ease, something that seemed make Vic’s eyes flicker in a way Robert didn’t want to think about.

“Sorry,” Adam said. “They’re not letting that diary go anytime soon. Oh, I do have something for you though.”

He handed Vic a rolled up leather pouch which was fairly hefty. Robert watched open it up to find a set of tools. _Expensive_ tools. Robert and Vic both had bits and pieces in their rucksacks, but only for a preliminary nose around. What Vic was holding was a little more substantial. Not to mention it absolutely belonged to an over-spending White.

“Adam,” Vic said breathlessly.

“I thought, since we can’t have the diary, I might borrow these from our nice friends over there,” Adam told her.

Vic smiled. Wow, Robert thought. She really wasn’t bothered by casual theft as much as he thought she might be.

“So, what’s the plan?” Adam asked her. Vic nodded towards the square hole near Robert’s feet, everything beyond it hidden behind a veil of darkness. Adam moved closer and peered into the hole with a scowl. “Bit dark, innit?”

Vic’s grin was bright as she moved towards the silver disc. Looking at Adam, she tilted it just so, the sun hitting it brightly and the hidden chamber below filling with dusty grey lighted illumination.

Robert nodded down at the chamber. “Right then? Who’s going first?”

**~**

Adam went first, predictably, under the light of Vic’s beaming smile. Robert helped to lower her down next where Adam seemed to take an eternity receiving her on the ground, before Robert shimmied down the rope, jumping onto the ground and sending up a puff of dust.

The lighting wasn’t perfect, but the silver discs placed at strategic spots did a good job of transferring the sun’s light into the space they were in. Vic was looking around wide-eyed and happy. Adam was grinning, watching her reaction. Robert rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

He looked around the large room, moving towards a wrack of impressive equipment. “Looks like an armory.”

He crouched down on the ground to look at a shield with a crest that featured a fearsome looking lion. It was covered in layers of dust, one layer just a little thinner the than the rest where someone had wiped a hand over the lion. Robert waved his hand over it, mimicking what someone else might have done, wondering _when_ they’d done it.

“Look at his,” Adam said. Robert turned to see him and Vic looking at a breastplate on the ground, still shining once a layer of dust had been cleared off. “Can see my reflection in that.”

Vic grinned up at Adam from where she was crouched the armor. “Did you know, they used to clean armor with sand and urine to stop it from rusting?”

Vic kneeled, leaning in to sniff at the armor. Adam’s mouth turned down and he slowly turned and headed off in the direction of a wrack with an impressive line of lances. Robert got up, slowly turning to get a look at the fairly modest sized armory, a stone room with wooden storage bolted down with iron, holding an assortment of weaponry.

“Here, look at this,” Adam said, crouching down and picking up a thick stick with a burnt out cloth wrapped around it. Adam was fishing around his pockets before pulling out a lighter and flicking it to life. The cloth caught aflame quickly, providing them with a fiery torch. Adam got up, nodding to Vic. “Looks like someone else had the right idea for when those mirrors run out.”

Robert arched a brow at the recycled torch and then at Vic. She followed his gaze, getting up slowly to take the torch from Adam’s hand. She nodded towards an open door, not bothered by the fate of the torchbearers before them, walking on ahead, Adam watching her. She looked back over her shoulder, smiling in Adam’s direction, soft affection shining in her eyes. Adam’s grin widened and off he floated behind her.

Robert stood in the dimly lit room, calling out, “Yeah, thanks I _will_ join you.”

**~**

At some point the torch had passed from Adam to Robert, which was fine because Adam and Vic were too busy giggling at each other about god knows what and would probably accidentally have burnt the place down whilst nattering away. Robert followed behind as they made their way through a long dark corridor filled with cobwebs and dust motes. 

“It’s probably a secret passageway leading to the great hall, or maybe a library,” Vic was telling Adam. 

“They liked a bit of sneaking around did they?” Adam asked, full of cheek. 

Naturally, Vic laughed. “Dangerous times, weren’t it? Might have needed to make a quick escape. Robert knows all about that.”

“Funny,” Robert said flatly, a better retort dying on his lips at the sound of something further up the passage, an echo bouncing off stone. “Did you hear that?”

“Yeah,” Adam said slowly, sliding his shotgun off his shoulder and into his hold. “I heard that.”

“Here,” Robert said, passing the torch to Vic before reaching inside his jacket for a little added safety.

“Robert!” Vic said, staring at the handgun he’d brought out.

Robert shrugged, nodding towards Adam. “What? He gave it to me.”

Vic blinked at Adam. He blinked back, shrugging. “Did you want one?”

“ _No_!” Vic said. “What are you both expecting to find here?”

“Um, more of his mates?” Adam said, nodding to Robert.

“Yeah, mates is probably the wrong word to use,” Robert added said. “But, what he said.”

Vic gave them both a look that seemed to imply she had categorised them both as the same kind of idiot, something Robert took exception to. She turned around and walked off - easily done, Robert thought, with two blokes behind her with guns.

They crept quietly down the passageway, rounding the corner and straight into a skinny ginger layered up for a camping trip and holding his hands up, grinning widely.

Robert stared at him. “ _Connor_.”

“He’s been very helpful. Haven’t you, Connor?”

Adam, Vic and Robert all swiftly turned to the left and into the barrel of Donny’s shotgun and Lawrence’s pistol. Between the two men stood Chrissie and Rebecca looking bored in their rich White way. Adam and Robert pointed their respective guns at Donny and Lawrence.

“Connor and I here made a little deal,” Donny told Robert with a smirk. “He’d tell me what you were up to and we’d let you go on with it and lead us right here.”

“And I get a tidy little cut at the end,” Connor said. He directed a faux sad face at Robert. “Sorry.”

“Yeah, well, great story,” Adam said flatly, his shotgun aimed at Donny. “Doesn’t explain what we’re doing here right now.”

“ _This_ is our spot,” Lawrence said with a flare of his nostrils.

“Says who?” Robert asked with a scoff, looking past Lawrence and spotting an archway that led into another dark chamber. “Last I checked you don’t actually own this place.”

“Since we got here first,” Rebecca said smoothly, aiming a sour little smile at Robert, Chrissie glaring in silence where she stood.

“Why don’t we all calm down?” Vic asked, reaching out and carefully pushing down the shotguns Donny and Adam were aiming at each other. “Look, there’s enough castle for the lot of us. You can have your spot.”

“You sure?” Adam asked.

“Uh, no?” Robert responded.

“Not _you_ ,” Adam said. “Vic?”

“I am,” Vic said. “I can’t imagine a single corner of this place not being worth looking at. Come on. We’ll find summat else.”

Robert lowered his handgun, shaking his head at Chrissie as Vic walked off, Adam close behind. He told his ex, “Have fun.”

“I will once you’re gone,” Chrissie responded, Lawrence looking far too pleased at her side. She, Lawrence and Rebecca walked off towards the dark chamber, Donny loitering by the arch.

Connor sidled up to Robert. “No hard feelings, right? I mean, if anyone appreciates the makings of a good deal, it’s you.”

“True,” Robert said with a nod. “But you’re playing with fire. Good luck getting anything out of that lot. Should have run when you had chance.”

Connor’s gaze flicked up and down Robert’s body, before his mouth tilted up in a smirk and he turned on his heel, heading back to his group.

“Thought I told you to keep watch in the woods,” Donny told him.

“Yeah, well, that’s why I came after you,” Connor muttered, both men following their group, his voice fading as he worried about strange noises out in the woods.

Robert frowned, filing that worry away for later.

**~**

“Should have known that little shit was going to double-cross me,” Robert complained.

He was using a stick he had found as a makeshift golf club, smacking rocky debris against the walls as he sulked. Meanwhile, Vic had Adam pounding a long metal bar against a strange groove in the wall. They were in an eerie wide vestibule that put them somewhere under the chamber where the Whites and their associates were being a thorn in Robert’s side.

“Are you sure there’s something behind here?” Adam said.

“Well, no,” Vic said, “but the dimensions of this space are all wrong. This room should be bigger. And if something is behind that wall, it puts it right under the chapel. _And_ , while you were all comparing gun sizes, I spotted what looked like a wooden peg in the floor. It was at the foot of that statue – Robert you must have seen it.”

Robert shook his head, hitting a small rock. “Bad enough Chrissie has Donny with her, but now flipping Connor as well. Be lucky to leave this place with a bag of pennies at this point.”

Vic sighed, telling Adam, “ _Anyway_. The statue, she was looking at the peg, and there was a sword hanging downwards in her hand.”

Robert scowled at Vic, Adam standing stock still. He shrugged. “So?”

Vic shrugged. “Well, if this is really... _you know_ , that sword could mean something. _You know._ ”

Adam grinned at Robert. “Do I know?”

Robert grinned back, shaking his head. “Doubtful.”

“Fine, be like that,” Vic said. “Here, give me it. Let me have a go.”

She took the long metal bar and took over slamming the end into the wall. Robert toed close another little rock, pulling back to hit it with his temporary golf club.

“Working hard there, mate?” Adam said.

“Yeah, I’m not really about manual labour,” Robert said, taking a swing and hitting the pebble which smashed into the wall opposite just as Vic slammed the end of her metal pole.

A loud crack made the three of them freeze where they stood, Robert holding his golf club, Vic holding the metal pole. A moment later a part of the wall seemed to collapse forward under the weight of a long black metal container that landed on the ground with a thunderous bang, perfectly placed between Adam and Vic, with Robert at the head.

Vic and Robert looked at each other, one with pole in hand, the other with a raised stick. Both announced together, “ _I_ found that.”


	12. Chapter 12

Robert had seen a fair amount of corpses in the last decade. It was nothing special. He never saw bones or dried out husks and thought of living breathing humans that once owned these remains. Somehow, the dead were just a part of what they left behind, just another layer of sediment, another layer of dust. 

However…

Robert was looking at the stone sarcophagus which had narrowly missed his feet when it fell. It was made from some granite like black rock, smooth and glistening. Effort had gone into this thing. And then it had been hidden away inside a wall cavity. Who the hell got that kind of burial?

 _Open it and find out_ , prodded the voice of curiosity at the back of Robert's head.

That thought was challenged by a cold wind that blew through the passageways and into the vestibule, scratching at the back of his neck, asking him if he dared. He looked at Vic and Adam, all three of them aware that sometimes a breeze was just a breeze, and sometimes...it was a breeze in a creepy partially buried castle whilst standing in front of a sarcophagus of some dead person who had been hidden away inside a wall. Pretty strange as burials went. 

“Well?” Vic said, nodding towards the lid. “We having a look or what?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Robert said. He grinned at her. “Of course we are.”

Moments later Adam and Robert were using a metal rod as a lever to move the lid until it toppled onto the floor with a loud bang revealing the contents of the sarcophagus. The three of them moved close to each other and peered into it together. There was a tube-like casket in there made of black metal. Vic was practically hanging over the side of the sarcophagus, peering at the container with wide eyes.

She looked at Robert and Adam. “We need to get this thing upright.”

Robert laughed. "Don't look at me."

Vic looked at Adam, her expression all soft and sweet it made Robert want to laugh because Adam was totally crumbling under it until a frown crossed his forehead and said, "Hold on. Why do we need to see inside it? Why does _anyone_ need to see inside it? When I get buried, I kind of want it to be for good, you know?"

Robert nodded, telling Vic, "He's got a point. I mean I can say with at least 99.9% certainty that there is a dead person inside that casket."

Vic smiled at them both. "Right. Sure. Inside this fancy sarcophagus, hidden away down here inside the castle. No chance there might be something hoarded away in there for safety. Of an expensive nature."

It took about fifteen minutes of Adam and Robert struggling until they had the casket upright inside the sarcophagus. Panting and out of breath they both joined Vic and looked at it. Now that it was upright, the top of the casket definitely narrowed a bit and had two indentations that could create the vague shape of shoulders beneath a head.

Robert glared at the casket. "At the very least, there better be some expensive jewellery in there."

Adam slowly turned his head to stare at Robert, before shaking his head like he was saint. But Robert was fast forgotten when Vic gave a little delighted gasp, her hand smoothing over the floral golden engraving on the casket. Only, it wasn't really floral. The petals were sharp and they had seen something that looked similar.

“We need a key,” Vic said quietly. “The map box!”

She’d yelled it loud enough to wake the dead and Robert quickly slapped his hand over her mouth, shushing her. “Tell everyone why don’t you!”

Vic shoved his hand away. “We need the map box if we’re going to open this. Look! It’s not just a map box, it’s a _key_.”

“Or it’s a map box that leads straight to a creepy old coffin,” Adam said, pointing at said coffin.

Vic was about to respond, but was cut off by sharp popping sounds somewhere beyond the passageway they'd come down. Adam scowled, listening. “Sounds like...like gunfire.”

Adam picked up his shotgun and turned towards the passageway. Vic grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?”

“To see what’s going on,” Adam said. “Before whoever’s up there comes down here.”

“Yeah. Yeah good idea. I’ll uh, I’ll stay with Vic shall I?” Robert said.

Adam grabbed Robert by his shoulder and pulled him along. “She’ll be fine.”

Robert followed, rolling his eyes. It was probably Donny up there being a dickhead as usual. They reached a corridor where the sound and light were filtering through more naturally. That was definitely the way the Whites must have come in. It wasn’t surprising to run into them on the way.

“What the devil’s going on out there?” Lawrence asked peering towards the sound of buzzing and popping, Chrissie and Rebecca trailing behind him, Donny and Connor in tow.

“Dunno,” Adam said. “Thought they might be friends of yours.”

"They don't sound like anyone's friends.” Everyone jumped and gasped, turning to find Vic standing there with a large metal pole in her hand. She frowned at them. "What?"

“Okay, the point of us leaving you behind was so you could stay safe,” Adam said to her, very slowly and clearly. She answered with a glare. He sighed and turned away from her to look at everyone else. “Right. Let’s go find out what’s going on out there.”

“Do we all really need to go?” Robert asked with a shrug.

“No,” Adam said. “The two of us can go and everyone else can stay here if you want.”

Robert looked at Donny. “You coming or what?”

Donny smirked. “You know, Merrick, you ought to try getting your hands dirty once in a while.”

Donny walked off ahead, nodding to Lawrence and Connor to follow. Robert rolled his eyes, taking out his handgun. He looked at Chrissie and Rebecca. “In the spirit of equal opportunity you’re more than welcome to tag along.”

“And me?” Vic said.

“Clowns don’t count,” he said, getting a smack from Vic’s pole.

Never one to listen, Vic followed along with Chrissie and Rebecca, the latter armed with their own guns, and Vic armed with her big metal pole.

They all tentatively stepped into the light to see exactly what the source of the noise was. There in the middle of the compound was a group on motorbikes, all dressed in black, faces hidden behind the visors of their helmets. All armed.

“Shit,” Robert muttered. “You sure this has nothing to do with you?”

Chrissie closed in at his left shoulder. “Of course it doesn’t.”

“We don’t want no trouble!” Adam shouted at them. "And we ain't got anything valuable. Except that metal pole. And you can have that if you want."

An engine turned off and the rest followed. A single figure dismounted his motorbike. His shotgun hung loosely in his grasp. He didn’t have to point it at anyone. The whole group behind him had guns pointed on everyone around Robert.

“Pack your bags and leave. You’ve got until morning," the man in black said, his voice deep, accent local.

Robert closed his eyes and sighed as soon as he heard Chrissie’s huff of indignation. “Excuse me? I’m sorry, but who are you to tell us to leave?”

Someone fired a gun and the bullet hit the ground somewhere near Chrissie’s feet. Close. Too close. It shut her up though.

“You leave this place and you don’t come back,” the figure said, nodding at them. “If you’re here when we come back, we'll _make_ you leave.”

“We’ll see about that, mate,” Adam said, putting on some impressive front.

The figure turned his black-helmeted head in Adam’s direction. He stood silently for a very long time before he settled on, “You’ve got until tomorrow morning.”

He went back to his bike without another word, nodding to another rider who was the first to ride off, the others following behind. When they were gone, Adam turned and said, “Right. I dunno about you all, but I think we might want to stick together until tomorrow morning.”

~

No one wanted to stick together what with being as smart as a big bag of hammers. Lawrence had snorted at the idea and gone right back into the castle with his usual arrogance, which hopefully he would come to realise didn’t deflect bullets.

Chrissie and Rebecca had seemed more cautious.

“Look, maybe we just keep checking in with each other, yeah?” Robert told Chrissie. “Just for safety.”

Chrissie nodded, looking both reluctant but also a little relieved. Behind her, Rebecca was quiet and without quips about Robert’s status amongst the White family as the worst kind of reptile. They both left to join Lawrence who was already quietly plotting with Donny - probably. Funny how they didn’t seem particularly ruffled by the bikers showing up.

Robert grabbed Connor by the arm before he could join them. Connor looked at hand on him and arched a brow, smiling at Robert. Robert rolled his eyes and let go. “Those lot outside anything to do with Donny?”

Connor fluttered his eyelashes at Robert, smiling and asking, “And why would I tell you?”

Robert let his gaze flick up and down Connor. Smiling back he said, “Just because you’ve bet on the wrong horse for now doesn’t mean you and I can’t continue to have a fruitful relationship in the future. _Business_ relationship, of course.”

“Of course,” Connor said.

“Well?” Robert said. “Do they?”

Connor leaned in a little too close for comfort, whispering, “Donny didn’t have a clue. You can have that one for free. The rest’ll cost ya though.”

**~**

When Robert joined them, Vic and Adam were sitting on a wooden bench in the vestibule, both of them looking at the unopened casket.

“What now?” Robert said. “Not much we can do with gun-toting idiots about. Can’t even open that casket without the key.”

Vic nodded, frowning before asking, “You mean this key?”

She slowly pulled the map box from her pocket, holding it up before clicking it open into its fully blooming shape. Vic grinned at Adam and Robert. “Nicked it out of Chrissie’s bag in all that ruckus.”

Adam was staring at her opened mouthed. “While they all had guns trained on us?”

Vic nodded. They both seemed to forget themselves for a moment, just staring at each other. Robert threw his head back and sighed loudly. Not that they noticed. Robert cleared his throat. “Sorry, you want me to step outside?”

“What?” Vic said, as Adam responded, “Yeah, that’d be nice.”

“What?” Vic looked at Adam who shook his head, asking, “Did you say summat?”

“No, I thought you did,” she said as Adam replied, “Yeah, no. I didn’t. I was just-”

“Open it!” Robert yelled, making both Vic and Adam jump where they sat.

Vic though, she was soon enough bounding over to the casket with the map box, Adam all pink-cheeked and watching her as he got up and stood next to Robert. Vic for the moment though only had eyes for the casket, reaching out to put key to lock.

The key turned and the lock went

_...click_

_...click_

_...click_

**C L U N K**

The door _flung_ open hard and a figure lurched forward, body hanging from the casket, head flying past Vic, smashing to the ground. They all screamed, heads turning in unison to see a dark black helmet rolling across the floor before coming to a slow stop.

The three of them turned their heads slowly to look at the headless figure hanging out of the casket. Robert let out a nervous laugh. “It’s just a suit of armor. Jesus.”

“Ah, mate, I almost wet myself,” Adam said, putting a hand to his chest. He looked at Robert and then started laughing, Robert letting out laugh too and relaxing somewhat, though adrenaline was still making his heart pump hard.

Only...Vic was not laughing. She had walked over to the helmet and was crouching down to poke it with a finger. As soon as she gave it a little push, her eyes went wide and she sprang back up.

“What?” Adam asked.

“I don’t think it’s _just_ a suit,” Vic said as her mouth turned down in disgust. “There’s _something_ in there.”

"What...like...like his head?" Vic nodded, still looking disgusted. Adam nodded back, a blank look on his face. “I’m gonna be proper sick. Just warning ya.”

Robert looked at the leaning suit of armor, unable to make out the corpse behind closely knitted black chain mail, leather and metal. So he shoved it slightly with his hand, immediately feeling the weight of the body inside.

“Wow. Chopped his block off while he was dressed to the nines. Must have been a proper bad boy,” he said.

“That do it for ya? Does it?” Adam asked.

Robert arched a brow at the scene before him, not looking at Adam. “Not sure I can answer that without being judged harshly.”

“Don’t be so disgusting, Robert,” Vic said, making a face and going back to the iron casket from which the corpse had sprung. “Oh, wow, look at this. Amazing.”

“Yeah, let’s move on from Robert being disgusting to you getting your jollies from the coffin of a dead bloke,” Adam said with a nod.

Vic ignored them both in favour of looking at the inside of the casket lid. She looked at the suited up dead man, more specifically the black metal gauntlet and then back at the inside of the lid, tracing something with her fingers.

Robert moved to stand behind her and look over her shoulder. “What is it?”

“He...he couldn’t have written this,” Vic said with a frown.

“Why not?” Adam said.

All three of them looked at the helmet on the floor and back at the scrawls etched deep into the lining of the lid.

“Probably written before they put him in there,” Robert said, Adam watching him with narrowed eyes, as if Robert was somehow responsible for everything that didn't make sense.

“I can barely read it,” Vic said. “Can I get some light?”

Adam dutifully picked up their fiery torch and shone it in her direction, almost blinding Robert in the process. Vic ran her fingers along the engraving, Robert peering at it as she sounded out the words, soft and sweet, magical almost.

Adam angled his head in her direction. “Sounds like Welsh. She speaking Welsh?”

“Actually,” Vic started, a little too excited. “It’s more Old Welsh. Well _actually_ -”

“Yeah, Welsh. It’s Welsh,” Robert said, before giving Vic a look. “Anytime soon. You're killing this bloke all over again.”

Adam let out a laugh, until Vic looked very serious and Adam had to look serious too, telling Robert, “Try to be patient yeah?”

Robert ignored him, asking Vic, “What’s it say about death there?”

Adam looked at them both. “Excuse me, what’s this about death now?”

“Ignore him,” Vic said with a smile. “There’s always somethin’ about death where graves and corpses are concerned.”

Adam nodded. “Right. So this is what happened to those two kids in the Addams Family is it? They became you two.”

“Will you hurry up?” Robert said. “Chrissie’s probably found a big gold hoard by now.”

“We’re not here for gold, Robert. We’re here for illumination,” Vic told him.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Adam said, before adding. “A bit of gold would be nice though.”

“Thank you,” Robert said.

“Well, this says nothing about gold,” Vic said. She gave them both a strange and careful look as she said, “It says...it says _death is not the ending_. Which, you know, a lot of cultures believe it’s not. Don’t they?”

The torch in Adam's hand flickered as a gentle breeze blew about them. They stared at the flickering in silence.

"Bit weird though," Vic murmured, "sticking him inside a wall like this. I think that room upstairs might be the chapel. There’s a reason he’s down here, with someone up there keeping an eye on him.”

“Probably messed around with someone’s bird,” Adam said as Robert grinned. Vic glared at them both. Adam straightened up, “Or summat else. We don’t know. Vic...what uh, what do you think then?”

 _Smooth_ , Robert mouthed at Adam as Vic looked at the floor of the vestibule and the helmet that lay on its side, its contents hidden from view in the dim light thankfully.

“I bet Carnahan knew,” Vic said. “Bet it’s in that diary of his.”

“You mean this diary?” Robert said, pulling said diary from his pocket.

Vic stared at it open-mouthed before grabbing it back. “How?”

“Connor. He’s not that hard to motivate.” Both Adam and Vic frowned at him. Robert frowned back before rolling his eyes and adding, “I gave him all the money I had on me. That cost me eight-hundred quid. You’re welcome. Now, how about we forget this bloke and think about finding this treasure of Camelot instead?”

Adam pointed a finger in Robert’s direction. “He’s got something there. And I gotta say, your fixation with Mr No Head here, it’s making me just a little jealous.”

Vic grinned, rolling her eyes. “Shut up.”

“You shut up,” Adam said, nudging her lightly with his arm.

Robert gave them a bland look, suggesting, “Both of you shut up.”

**~**

By the time night fell, there was a slight sense of unease in the air. They were all still in the compound and morning wasn’t too far off now. Further exploration of the castle hadn’t laid bare any big secrets or hoards of gold, and the threat of the motorbike visitors still hung over their heads.

The Whites though...they had found something. When they came out and set up camp, Lawrence looked shifty. Shiftier than usual. Chrissie and Rebecca were avoiding Robert’s gaze instead of glaring at him and Donny looked insufferably smug in front of their big campfire and perfectly set up little tents.

Not that the campfire in front of Robert was too bad. Adam had done a decent enough job of both the fire and of putting up the three little green tents with Vic whilst Robert took some time out to lament the lack of treasure discovered so far.

Robert took up a spot on the log by their fire, Adam perched on the other end, Vic hiding inside her tent with Carnahan’s diary. Connor, shameless as he was, had decided to come over and take up a spot right between them.

“FYI, I’m here keeping an eye on you and making sure you stay away from them,” Connor told Robert, before turning to wink at Adam.

Adam snorted, nodding in the direction of the White camp. “What’s going on there then? They found something?”

“Few trinkets,” Connor said, turning his nose up at the finds. “Some old book. It's locked though, so they can't get at it. You think you might share that?”

Robert followed Connor’s gaze to the mouth of the rucksack at his feet, where the top of a bottle of whiskey was poking out. Robert smiled at Connor, “I think you’ve gotten everything you were going to get out of me today.”

Connor smirked. “That’s a shame.”

The flaps to Vic’s tent opened and she finally emerged, casting a shifty look in the direction of the Whites. Robert looked back to see Lawrence struggling to open the solid clasp on a hefty tome. Ah _the book_.

“Looks like they need a key,” Vic said quietly.

“Oi. You’re in her seat,” Adam told Connor, nodding at him. Connor rolled his eyes and got up, taking up a languid position on an unoccupied sleeping bag.

Vic took up the spot between Adam and Robert, smiling at Adam. Robert looked away, letting them eye each other up in peace.

“So, what’s the deal?” Robert asked Connor. “Donny going to pay you for spilling your guts?”

Connor gave Robert a sulky look. “Hardly. He’s promised not to shop me for organising the break-in into his hotel room to steal his money.”

Robert laughed, shaking his head. “Connor. _Mate_. You should have stuck to petty theft and minor extortion. He’s not going to keep his end of the bargain, you know? You can’t trust him as far as you can throw him.”

“What? Unlike you?” Vic asked.

“Better than Donny,” Robert snorted.

“It’s true. He really is. In more than one way.” Connor got up and walked off like a man without a worry in the world, as if he was on holiday, going for a stroll down a beach. Idiot.

When Robert looked away from him and back at his own idiots it was to find both Vic and Adam staring at him in a decidedly judgemental manner.

“So? Anything in Carnahan’s diary?” Robert asked, ignoring the looks. “You know, interesting recipes, pressed leaves from a picnic. Directions to the gold room.”

“No, but I think I know who our headless friend is,” Vic said very quietly.

Adam and Robert leaned in closer, Adam asking, “Yeah?”

“Carnahan’s diary mentions the Black Knight,” Vic said. “He started out this fearsome warrior, but then he started practising what Carnahan calls _the dark arts_. He basically got witch-trialed before they cut out his tongue, chopped off his head, and buried him in somewhere inside the castle walls so none of his followers could find him and revive him.”

Adam nodded. “Revive him. After they...chopped his head off.”

Vic shrugged. “It’s why it’s called a myth. The truth is probably that he was an ambitious knight and got punished for it.”

"That's it? Nothing else?" Robert asked. Vic looked from him to Adam and then back at Robert. "What?"

"Well, Carnahan was mentioning it in the context of things to avoid messing around with based on his experience of other digs," Vic said a little sheepishly.

"You mean not to open the casket," Adam said.

Vic waved a hand at him. "Well, we've done it now, and nothing happened."

"Yet," Adam said. " _Yet_."

Robert laughed. "What you worried we got cursed or something?"

"Sitting here talking to you aren't I?" Adam said with a snort.

"And me," Vic said, bumping her shoulder against Adam's. He smiled at her, and off they went again into their quiet little staring contest.

Robert took out his bottle of whiskey and cracked it open.

**~**

The night wore on and the bottle of whiskey went down fast between the three of them. Robert was lying on top of his sleeping bag, arms wrapped around the bottle, protecting what little drink was left inside. The campfire was a warm presence at his back, his jacket making an adequate makeshift blanket. All around him it was quiet but for the sound of the fire crackling and Vic and Adam's chatter somewhere behind him, Vic sounding just a little tipsy, Adam laughing softly at her gibbering.

Coasting along the lip of whiskey-softened sleeping-waking, he thought of Aaron back at that hotel, sitting there in bed with that mardy little look on his face. God he was grumpy. It made Robert want to do all sorts. Robert sighed.

“Someone's having nice dreams over there,” Adam said. “He's probably dreaming about a twelve foot pile of gold.”

Robert scowled, awake enough to be annoyed, but too asleep to do anything about it. 

“Or some fella he met in Hotten,” Vic said, adding the loudest and most indiscreet shush imaginable. 

“Nice one Robert,” Adam said, sounding just a little impressed. After a long thoughtful silence Adam asked, “And what about you Miss Connolly? You got a nice bloke back in Hotten?”

Vic was quiet for a while before she laughed and said, “Are you asking me out?”

“No, I'm making a polite inquiry actually, big head,” Adam said, laughing with her. “But...since you brought it up...”

“I will think about it,” Vic said. “Once I know that we well and truly flipping found Camelot.”

Adam let out a huff of laughter. “Sounds reasonable.”

“I know I know. You probably think I'm mad, don't ya?”

“No. Not mad. I mean, I don't totally get ya. See, him? Him I get. You though...” Adam said.

“I know. You're wondering, what's a place like this, doing in a girl like me,” Vic said. Adam chuckled softly. “See, thing is, our mum, she was a librarian like me. She _loved_ the idea of Camelot and she used to say she knew stories about Camelot being up here somewhere, and that Arthur was probably a Yorkshire lad. It's probably why she married my dad. She was all romantic like.”

Adam laughed. “Is that right?”

“Yeah. She loved this poem called Eldorado. It's all about looking for lost treasure, lost cities. She taught it to us. When we were kids we'd go on these little quests, singing about Eldorado, looking for Camelot. Me, Robert. Andy.”

Robert swallowed, the crackle of the fire too loud in his ears all of a sudden.

“That’s our brother. Andy,” Vic said quietly. “Ain't seen him in forever. See...our mum and dad, they died. Andy...it was his fault. An accident. He confessed. Did time for it. But we ain't seen him since. Annie, my gran, she took us away. This place...dunno, it’s making me think of him. Feel like he should be here with us.”

Shuffling and sniffling followed whilst Robert remained still, listening, not breathing.

“Well, maybe after you're rich and famous for discovering Camelot you can go see him. Talk about old times. Take Mister Moneybags over there too.”

“Robert's only ever mentioned Andy once. To say he never wanted to hear Andy's name again,” Vic said. “He's not really the forgiving type.”

“But you are,” Adam said quietly. “You know, I ain't ever met anyone like you.”

“What? A librarian?” Vic asked with a laugh.

Adam laughed back, but he sounded serious when he said, “You're something else, Vic.”

“You know summat?” Vic asked.

“What?”

“I’m gonna kiss you, Adam Barton.”

Robert opened his eyes, scowling.

“Yeah?” Adam said.

“Yeah!” Vic responded enthusiastically.

Silence followed. And then a thunk followed by drunken sleepy mumbling. Finally, an unfulfilled sigh from Adam as he muttered, "Yeah."

Robert held back a laugh and closed his eyes.

**~**

Robert was somewhere between dreaming and waking.

His dreams had a watery warbling feel about them, sounds splashing around the surface of his skull before sinking like stones, muffled and beyond the reach of recognition. It was bad sleep, too close to the edge of waking. He felt unsettled and agitated.

He'd been on many a dig, but this was the first time in a while he'd found himself camped out and sleeping by a fire, at one with crappy nature. It reminded him too much of being a kid. Of him and Andy setting up a camp in the garden instead of sleeping in their beds, creating the illusion of danger and adventure, telling each other tall tales. That time seemed so far away, buried deeper than any treasure. 

Sometimes he missed Andy. 

But he also hated Andy.

It was complicated.

He curled in on himself, shoving at memories best forgotten, trying to latch onto something more appealing. Something like Aaron. Robert had thought more times of him since the morning than any treasure. That was...worrying. 

_Lust_ at first sight, he told himself. That was all it was. Aaron was exciting, he was the calm and the storm. Being with him had been _intense_. Addictive. But lust all the same. He felt drawn to Aaron. He craved him. 

But it was lust. Nothing more. 

Robert scowled in his sleep, picking up on the sound of people shuffling about behind him.

“ _Vic._ What you doing?” Adam was whispering. Robert frowned, unsure he wanted to know what his _sister_ was _doing_ to Adam. “Oh my god… did you just steal that book off Lawrence?”

“He’s asleep, he won’t even know it’s gone. Besides. He can’t open this without a key. _We_ have a key, so…you know.”

“I don’t know whether I should be turned on or scared,” Adam muttered.

“Uh, gross, how about neither?” Vic said, smart girl.

“You know you can’t take the moral high ground while trying to open a stolen book, yeah?” Adam said. “Oi, you listening? That thing could be cursed or something.”

“Don’t be silly. There’s no such thing as curses.” Vic said. “Besides, what harm ever came from reading a book?”

Robert heard the turning of the key, a metallic creaking sound: _tick tick tick_ and then:

**C L I C K**

A gust of wind swept through the camp site, loud and firm, like a warning. Robert shivered at the chill. Somewhere behind him Vic turning pages, muttering with excitement.

“It’s beautiful. It’s a grimoire. A spell book. Look at these. That looks like a list...a recipe. For a potion maybe." Vic muttered on in awed silence, turning page after page. She sounded it entranced as she said, "Look. This says _a plea for the undead."_

Then she was reading, her words soft and lyrical, ancient words that sounded like the shushing of waves rushing towards the shore-

_you have eyes you're eyes will see_

_open, your mouth, you have a tongue, you will speak  
_

_and breathe, you have air, and you will take air and breathe  
_

_and wake, from death take your release, and wake, live again  
_

_live again, live again, live again  
_

“NO!” Lawrence yelled. “You mustn't read from the book!”

A roar ripped through the silence, a noise that seemed to surround them on all sides, like the call of some giant prehistoric creature before it claimed its prey. Robert sat up at the sound in shock, barely holding onto his bottle, staring at Vic who was kneeling on the ground in front of the book Lawrence had been struggling to open.

Thunder rumbled in the sky, the night becoming inkier, the moon looking larger and brighter, the sky filling with screeching of bats. The ground shook for seconds that felt like an eternity before everything went too still. Robert, Vic and Adam slowly got to their feet, the White camp slowly joining them to watch strange little mounds appearing in the ground.

A hand shot out from one of them.

"Oh my god, what the hell's that?" Rebecca said.

A rotted arm was stretching out of the ground, followed by another arm. A few seconds later what seemed like a corpse was pulling himself up out of the earth, dressed in the remnants of armor, bringing a sword and shield with him. Behind him, another corpse rose. Behind him, another. Before long, there was a group advancing forward, swords banging on shields.

“Well, this doesn’t look good,” Robert said, tightening his hold on the bottle of whiskey in his hand.

“I’ve got an idea,” Adam said.

“What?” Vic asked.

Adam grabbed her hand before giving Robert a nod and telling everyone, “Run!”


	13. Chapter 13

To say that Robert had never encountered trouble at a potential dig site before would be an understatement. In fact, it would be a barefaced lie. Trouble kind of came with the territory; the territory of being Robert Sugden. However...undead soldiers climbing out of the ground... This was a whole new kind of troublesome territory.

Robert was fleeing with everyone on camp, until his foot snagged on something and he fell flat on his face. He turned onto his back and peered at the grip on his ankle. It wasn't a weed or root as he had thought. It was a gnarled rotting hand poking out of the ground, holding on with an iron grip. Robert’s eyes widened at the sight.

When the shock of what he was seeing subsided, making a sound of disgust, he tried to kick at the hand with his free foot. He could hear Vic calling out for him and twisted around to see her attempting to run back. Adam grabbed her, talking her out of it. She gave Robert a worried look and remained headed to the castle whilst Adam ran back.

He stopped at the sight of the hand, looking like he was going to be sick. “That is not right.”

“Well get it off me!” Robert snapped.

Adam crouched down, still disgusted. “Ugh. I better get half of your gold hoard for this. This is gonna be in my nightmares.”

“Half? No chance!”

Adam sat back and stared. “Really? I mean, right now, in _this_ situation you're still all about the treasure?"

The hand tugged on Robert's ankle and he yelled out in surprise. “Ugh! There is no treasure, is there? Get that flipping thing off me.”

Adam gave him a look and then with much disgust proceeded to pry the hand off Robert, before pulling him to his feet and giving him a smack on the arm. “Come on.”

Robert limped as fast as he could. Everyone else had disappeared inside, leaving only Robert and Adam… and a whole lot of soldiers advancing in their direction. Adam was holding tight to his shotgun. Robert moved his hand to feel the weight of the handgun in his pocket.

“What the hell are they?” Robert said, staring at them.

“I know what they’re not,” Adam said, lifting his shotgun and pointing. “Alive.”

Adam shot one of the soldiers in the head.

It did the trick, turning the undead warrior into a pile of ash and dust. Robert pulled out his handgun and between the two of them they disposed of the most imminent threat. Adam grabbed Robert by his arm and dragged him along as he ran, making a beeline for the Whites’ entrance into the castle.

They ran down the halls expecting to find the others, finding nothing. Adam stood looking left and right, out of breath. “Where are they?”

“I dunno, they all headed back in together,” Robert said.

Adam nodded, pointing to one end of the passageway. “Right you go that way. I’ll go down there.”

Robert looked at both ends. One went somewhere down into the bowels of the castle, and the other went somewhere else unfamiliar. Frowning at Adam he said, “Do you really think it’s a good idea to split up?”

Adam sighed. “Come on, man, Vic could be in trouble.”

“Alright fine,” Robert said. “But give me the big gun.”

Adam looked at the handgun being offered and back at Robert. “No.”

Robert sagged, sighing. “Whatever.”

“Alright, go,” Adam said. “We meet back here. Don’t go _anywhere_ else. Anyone you find, keep them close. Yeah _even_ those posh tossers and their hired grunts.”

“Don’t worry. Pretty sure they’ll end up scaring the undead and we’ll be fine,” Robert said blandly, watching Adam sprint off, a man on a mission. Robert sighed, muttering. “I suppose she could do worse.”

**~**

Robert walked through the passages and rooms of the castle with utmost care, handgun held ready to fire at anything that moved. There was a dead calm about the place, which seemed odd with the dance of the macabre goings on outside.

Trust the Whites to find an actual functional spell book. Trust Vic to go and read from it and wake the dead. Something fluttered, making Robert gasp and spin to shoot. A bat flew off down the dark hall, disappearing into the shadows. Robert blew out a breath, continuing down the corridor.

Footsteps echoed from the direction he’d just come. Robert turned towards the sound. “Hello? Who’s there?”

Robert continued on, his footsteps echoing loudly on the stone floors. If not not for the cobwebs and dust, the occasional fluttering of hidden animal or insect, the place looked as if had been erected yesterday, the stonework perfect, the hangings still lush with colour.

Robert stopped, hearing noises somewhere in the distance, echoes of movement. He followed them down another hall in the labyrinthine castle, chasing sounds leading him towards a passageway with a stairwell at the end. It went down to the vestibule that had hid the corpse of that dead knight.

A familiar roar rushed through the castle. Just like the one when Vic had been reading from the book. The castle seemed to shake, Robert losing his footing and flying into a wall. And then somehow he was flying through the wall, as if the wood panelling had just given way against him, sending him rolling down a ledge and finally falling face first onto a dusty floor.

He turned over onto his back and sat up with a groan. He was in some unfinished looking space, a stony passageway that smelled of damp earth. Up ahead was Chrissie kneeling on the ground next to Lawrence who was lying there completely out of it. Rebecca and Donny were there too. Rebecca was sitting up against a wall with a glazed look in her watery eyes, Donny sitting by her, shielding her from something-

“Rob...Robert.” Robert twisted around at the sound of Vic’s quaking voice. She was standing pressed up against a wall, eyes wide with fear as a figure advanced towards her. The figure of the corpse with the black armor, the hidden knight, complete with helmeted head atop his shoulders.

“Help me,” Vic said, her eyes darting in Robert’s direction as he slowly got to his feet.

The corpse, the Knight, stopped advancing towards Vic. He very slowly turned away from her to _face_ Robert. Robert froze where he stood. That head tilting at him was a decapitated head. An impossible head.

The Knight lifted a heavy gauntlet-wearing hand, pointing at Robert, making him stumble back. Robert heard a chuckle. It sounded...odd. Familiar. The gloved finger of the Knight pointed at Lawrence, at Chrissie, moving to Rebecca, staying pointed at her. Then the Knight pointed at Robert.

“They despise you,” the Knight’s voice echoed through the chamber in Lawrence’s familiar voice.

“Oh my god,” Chrissie whimpered.

“Loathe you. Such...disappointment.” Robert swallowed, staring as the Knight continued. “Pledge your allegiance to me. I will give you reward beyond your imagining. _Robert._ Accept me as your king.”

“Robert,” Vic murmured.

“You. You can be my bride,” the Knight said, turning in Vic’s direction, before turning his attention to Robert again. “And you. My vessel.”

Robert felt a tight knot forming in his stomach. He couldn’t look away from the Knight, from his hidden face. Robert thought he could make out the glint of eyes, and at the same time, was sure he could see nothing of the sort.

“Oi!” Adam yelled, careening in out of nowhere and smashing the butt of his shotgun into the Knight’s head, sending it to the floor.

The now headless Knight twisted towards Adam, lunging to grab him, but Adam pointed his gun and started shooting. Donny was on his feet too. pointing his gun, filling the Knight’s armor full of holes until he twisted into a furious roaring black smoke and disappeared completely.

Adam ran to Vic, pulling her into a tight hug. “You alright?”

“Not really, no,” Vic said shaking her head.

Adam nodded. “Well, we got him. Let’s get of here, yeah?”

“What about the army of the dead out there?” Donny asked.

“We’re just going to have to make a run for it. We can’t stay here. You with me, Robert? Robert?” Robert looked at Adam, swallowing. Adam came to him, giving him a clap on the shoulder. “Oi. You alright?”

Robert nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

He went to Chrissie, crouching down next to her. She looked at him tearfully. “It’s Dad. That...that _thing_ did something and Dad just collapsed. Rebecca went to help and-”

Chrissie covered her mouth, stifling the sound of her crying. Robert looked at Donny who was taking care of Rebecca. She was still sitting there leaning against the wall in some trance-like state. “What happened?”

Donny shook his head. “I saw him walking out of there holding his head under his arm. Then he just...put the bloody thing back on. But it looked like he was weak, flagging. Lawrence was closest and he went for him. Lawrence passed out and... _that thing_ got stronger. Starting talking in Lawrence’s voice. Rebecca ran at him, foolish girl. He just grabbed her and she went limp. She’s been like this since he let go.”

Robert looked up at Vic who looked guilt-ridden and worried. Looking back at Donny, Robert said, “Come on. We need to go.”

“What if he doesn’t wake up?” Chrissie cried. “What if neither of them do?”

“’Course they will,” Robert told her softly, putting an arm around her shoulders. “Hey. They’ll be fine. Trust me.”

Somehow, despite everything, Chrissie nodded at him and they all started to make a move to get the hell out of the castle.

**~**

Donny and Robert carried Lawrence between them, whilst Adam and Vic were carrying Rebecca, Chrissie following, still distraught. Both Rebecca and Lawrence were still in a bad way, Lawrence breathing a little odd, Rebecca muttering a few incoherent words.

“What happened to Connor?” Robert asked.

“Last I saw him he was ignoring everyone else and running to god knows where,” Donny said. “Little shit’s probably half-way to Leeds by now.”

“He’s always been a resourceful lad, has Connor,” Robert said.

“An opportunist, like you,” Donny said.

“Said the pot to the kettle,” Robert said. “You got a point?”

“That thing offered you reward beyond your wildest dreams,” Donny said.

“Well, one, my dreams are pretty wild, and two, he said beyond my imagining, and I’m fairly certain I can imagine way more than what Sleepy Hollow is offering,” Robert said.

“Be that as it may,” Donny said. “When magical and impossible things offer you riches beyond your imagining...that’s serious business that is.”

“That’s what I like about you, Donny,” Robert said. “You put basic chancers like me to shame.”

Donny snorted. “Right, as if you weren’t tempted for a second.”

“You know if Lawrence doesn’t make it out of here, it’s because you’ve bored him to death.” Robert glimpsed light and felt a breeze. They were nearing the way out. “Thank god.”

“There are dead guys with swords out there,” Donny said.

Robert nodded. “Yeah, I know. Hoping they’ll chop my head off and put this conversation to an end.”

Donny blinked, and then let out a laugh, shaking his head. Robert couldn’t help but grin too. It was a mind-bender of a situation after all.

“Oi! We’re almost there!” Adam announced.

Robert heard Chrissie sniff and let out a broken little sound. He glanced at her as she tearfully looked at Rebecca.

“Chrissie,” Robert said. “It’s okay. We’re almost there.”

Chrissie nodded at him, sniffing and wiping away her tears. They continued moving until they were walking out into the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, but not to find undead soldiers, but an eerie calm, dust that used to be reanimated soldiers blowing in the wind, and a gang of brooding bikers standing in wait. One of them was standing at the front, scratched up and bloody-nosed. Robert stared open-mouthed.

“Aaron...what the hell is this?” Adam said, watching as some blokes from the group took Rebecca from his and Vic’s hold, another pair taking Lawrence.

“What’s happening?” Chrissie asked, “where are you taking them?”

“Aaron, what’s going on?” Adam asked, sounding winded.

Robert stared at Adam. Okay... _that_ he hadn't seen coming, especially with the looks on both their faces, Adam shocked and hurt, Aaron sad and guilty.

Robert looked back at Vic. "Don’t mean to worry you, but looks like your boyfriend's boyfriend just turned up."

Vic opened her mouth to tell Robert to shut up, most likely, and then just stared at Adam with sad big eyes.

Donny said, "Er...not to be a party-pooper here, but there is the case of evil magic being afoot and all."

Robert wanted to joke that was no way to talk about the Whites, but Chrissie was still distraught and Robert occasionally knew when to keep his trap shut.

"Donny's right," Robert announced quite magnanimously. "What the flipping heck's going on here?"

Aaron glared at him, lips clamping shut into a flat line under a flare of nostrils.

_Fit. So fit._

"Why don’t I explain eh?”

Robert turned in the direction of a bloke who was sauntering towards them all, helmet hanging in his hand to reveal a scathingly disapproving look on his weathered face. Robert frowned, just about to announce that _this_ was the bloke from the pub back in Emmerdale.

Only...Adam. Adam turned to stare at him, his look turning incredulous before he said, “Cain...”

“Bloke from the pub,” Robert whispered to Vic, receiving a smack on the arm.

“To answer his question,” Cain said nodding towards Robert, “you lot have only gone and kick-started the flipping apocalypse.”

“Yeah?” Adam said, looking livid. “That right? Well, what have you twos got to do with it?”

“Oh, us?” Cain said, clearly about to make a point that would end up making everyone feel stupid. “Nothing much. Just keeping an eye on this place for centuries, making sure no one goes in there and revives a bloke who had his tongue ripped out and head chopped off people were so afraid he might keep his promise and come back from the dead. That’s all. Not much else.”

“Yeah, but that’s not what I’m really asking you, is it?” Adam yelled at Cain. Robert didn’t know Cain well, but he didn’t seem the kind to respond well to that kind of behaviour.

He didn’t. He stalked over to Adam, getting right in his face as he ground out, “Well, I don’t have time for those questions because we need to get away from here before he pops up and finishes what he started.”

“I shot him. He disappeared,” Adam said, frowning at Cain.

“It won’t work,” Aaron said. “He’ll get strong and come back. We need to get away from here, think of a way to put him back down before this gets out of hand.”

“We got attacked by zombie soldiers,” Vic said, making a face. “I’d say that’s pretty out of hand.”

“Well, that’s nothing,” Cain said, giving her a dark-eyed look. “We’re talking old magic. Power over nature. Power over minds. And every day he’s out there and not in a grave, he just gets stronger. So...we’re all leaving, and you’re coming with.”

“What are you going to do with my sister and my dad?” Chrissie asked.

Cain’s expression wasn’t a comforting one. “Look after them. It’s all we can do right now. Better get a move on.”

He stepped back, showing the waiting bikers to take their passengers, some already thundering away. Donny gently took Chrissie by the elbow, nodding at her, and they started walking. Vic gave Robert a careful look and followed, whilst Robert watched Adam and Aaron.

“Adam, we need to go,” Aaron said quietly.

“Not until you tell me how you’re involved in this. How could you keep something so massive from me? _He_ is married to my _mum_.”

“Adam!” Aaron snapped. “ _Please_. Not here. I promise...I promise I’ll tell ya everything.”

“Oi! Enough questions,” Cain said. He pointed at Adam. “We’re leaving. _Now_.”

Adam’s jaw was working like it might snap off. He nodded. “Fine. But this ain’t over.”

Aaron reached for Adam’s arm, “Ads.”

“Don’t touch me, man,” Adam said, shaking off his arm and stomping off.

Cain, realising Robert was still there witnessing the whole thing, gave him a flinty look, before turning to look at Aaron. “Come on.”

Aaron nodded stiffly at Cain before his pale pale blue eyes shifted and settled on Robert. It looked like he was waiting for Robert to say something. It seemed like a good time to be sensitive.

“I _knew_ you were following me.” Robert grinned widely. Aaron stared at him, the landscape of his face changing delightfully into some kind of look of appalled shock. Robert shrugged. “What? I did.”

Aaron looked around, before shaking his head. “Well done you. I’ll get you a trophy with your name engraved on it.”

With a half-roll of his eyes, Aaron walked off, Robert jogging after him and falling into step, searching Aaron’s face for more of a response, bikes revving their engines around them and riding out of the compound. They reached Aaron’s bike, Aaron getting on and starting the engine. His mouth seemed to twitch with amusement.

Robert let out a huff of laughter. “You knew. You _knew_ I knew you were following me.”

“Yeah well, you’d wake the dead the way you were going through my stuff,” Aaron said. “You had _no_ idea when I went through yours.”

Robert snapped his fingers, pointing at Aaron, grinning. “Of course you did. I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

Aaron tossed Robert his helmet and said, “Shut up and put that on.”

Robert looked at the helmet, which definitely wasn’t a spare. “What about you?”

“Well, I know what I’m doing with this,” Aaron said patting the bike. “Besides, it's not far from here.”

God he was a sight, the moonlight hitting his eyes just right, sitting there looking at Robert as if they'd just left their hotel room and were about to go on a jaunt. Robert frowned, feeling a flood of warmth in his chest.

“Alright?” Aaron was frowning at him, looking concerned. “Just get on and hold on tight. You’ll be fine. Trust me.”

 _I think I do_ , Robert thought with just a touch of confusion.

**Author's Note:**

> You can check out my [Eldorado](https://danveresque.tumblr.com/tagged/eldorado) tag for self-indulgent headcanoning. 
> 
> Thank you for the feedback so far for this very silly story <3


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